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Daffodils in January?

© Mary Lou Gripshover

What can you say about daffodils in January? When the ground is covered with snow? Or when rainstorms are lashing the coast? Or when a sudden freeze threatens those buds that are above ground? And yes, there are places where buds are above ground, just not here in Ohio! A friend in Tennessee reported that the little yellow trumpet, 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation', was in bloom outdoors in December. You wouldn't look twice at "RES" in the main daffodil season, but it surely is welcome in December! And those in Florida and California no doubt have not only buds, but also blooms open above ground. So for the rest of us, we have to content ourselves going through old catalogs, or looking for photos online to keep the daffodil fever going until spring. Check the "Best of Web" section that appears on the "Welcome" page. Check the various daffodil organizations; the sites give lots of information as well as photos. Then check out some of the "Sources for Bulbs." Lots of online catalogs have photos. And of course if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, now's the time to order bulbs. Even if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, but want to order from some of the Southern Hemisphere suppliers, now's the time to order.

Of course, if you have a coldframe or greenhouse, you might have had blooms since last September. 'Muslin', a miniature white bulbocodium (hoop petticoat-type) hybrid, was in bloom on Christmas Day, mostly because the pot had to be brought inside to protect it from the near zero temperatures that were coming. But the timing was nice.

You could always order some books about daffodils. One of the newest is Daffodils in Florida: A Field Guide to the Coastal South by Linda and Sara Van Beck. If you think you can't grow daffodils in Florida, think again! The book not only has photos of those cultivars that do well, but also includes a paragraph about each one. The Van Becks also tell you which cultivars do NOT do well.

The Royal Horticultural Society annually publishes the Daffodil, Snowdrop and Tulip Yearbook. This annual includes articles about daffodils from around the world, and covers the major show results.

Miniature Daffodil Cultivars: A Guide to Identification, illustrated in color, is a handy reference to most of those daffodils on the American Daffodil Society's Approved List of Miniature Daffodils. The text points out the differences between cultivars which are similar.