Daffodil Collectibles, Down Under Catalogues, and Warm Fires

January is not prime daffodil time for me in my Zone 5-6 USDA climate zone. Well, I do have some paper whites in bloom. Some friends who have cold greenhouses have told me about the abundance of winter-flowering bulbocodium and cantabricus hybrids which are in flower, and I did have one cantabricus seedling of my own in bloom before Christmas. It was a lovely little white hoop-petticoat style blossom. When I put the pot back in the coldframe, I noticed that buds were coming on 'Muslin,' a creamy white flower of the same type. We have had temperatures between 4 and 20 degrees F here, and I was surprised to see the buds on 'Muslin.' Growth obviously continues in the coldframe, even with the very cold temperatures.

This is the time when catalogues begin to arrive from the Southern Hemisphere. I've received two so far: from Glenbrook Bulb Farm and from G & F Miller Daffodils. If you're interested in ordering bulbs from the Southern Hemisphere, check the American Daffodil Society website at http://www.daffodilusa.org for a list of suppliers. Now is the time to send your order; bulbs will begin arriving in March and should be planted as soon as weather permits.

With about six inches of snow on the ground here, this is a good time to sit beside a nice fire to peruse those catalogs. And those ashes make perfect fertilizer for spreading on your daffodil patch. So, both you and your daffodils will get the benefits of a nice warm fire.

I guess "collectibles" aren't really a part of gardening, but most people I know who grow lots of daffodils also collect "daffodilia." Anything with a daffodil motif on it is fair game. I suspect people with other gardening interests do the same thing. My local daffodil group even had an "Oooh and Ahhh" show last February. We brought our prized daffodilia to display and had a grand time doing it.

My kids are good at finding daffodil items for me, and usually there is at least one daffodil item under the Christmas tree for me. This year was no exception, as I received a lovely vase with daffodils on it and a runner for the dining room table with daffodils dancing along the length of the runner. Other holidays have produced a crystal daffodil pin, a music box with a gazing ball filled with daffodils, and a small water pitcher and bowl in the style of the old ironstone pitchers. My son found it at the Welsh pavilion at DisneyWorld, so there's no telling where you'll find your treasures! The rest of my family gets involved in the search as well; my sister-in-law and my niece have found lovely daffodil pieces for me. They collect teddy bears, so I look for unusual bear items for them.

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