Winter Daffodil Tour
This weeks contribution is a mid-winter, or a virtual tour of daffodils via the cyber media, or links. Winter in the garden can be a bleak place. To break that up, the best way is to have a garden tour in full color, just like if it were spring. I hope you have the time to enjoy this, as looking at the links will take a little time, and just might break up the winter depression. Please step right up, the tour is just starting. This way please:
I find Mrs. Lee's Garden to be an interesting idea for a cattle ranch in Texas. The hills come alive with Song . . . no, daffodils.
Another of the more interesting sites on daffodil gardening is the New York Botanical Gardens, including scrolling down the page to see the daffodil walk, and daffodil hill.
When Wordsworth wrote his poem on daffodils.
"I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. . . ."
I'm sure he was seeing 'King Alfred', or N. psuedonarcissus, some of the oldest trumpet daffodils, and the ones that captured the hearts of the gardening public.
My favorite historic or heirloom daffodil is the 'King Alfred'. I've heard it many a time at daffodil shows, a member of the public will enter and say, "show me the 'King Alfred' daffodils," only to be told that none are in the show. The sad fact is, 'King Alfred' makes a good ground cover and supplies a sea of wonderful yellow for the early spring enjoyment, however, it's not generally a show daffodil. The refinements in the newer introductions have gone beyond 'King Alfred', as they should. Unfortunately, so many 'King Alfred' like daffodils have been mass distributed, it's hard to find a true 'King Alfred'. I think I have the true one. Take a look at this link, 'King Alfred'. It is located on the bottom left of the Brent and Becky Heath's web page. You will note there is considerable difference between this picture, and the previous one, or is it just the photograph? I chose 'King Alfred' as it is generally considered the "mold" for modern day daffodils.
Historic and the old sentimental daffodils are still in vogue, and available. An informative tour and explanation of the passion for historic, heirloom, or older daffodils can be found at Sister's Heirloom Daffodils, which also includes a sentimental story of a woman's passion for dafffodils. At the same time, that I selected 'King Alfred', it was over such heirloom flowers as 'Tenby', N. pseudonarcissus, Princeps, 'Bacon & Eggs' and many other of the daffodils grown by the early American pioneers that carried these bulbs by covered wagon to all parts of the United States. These heirloom bulbs are available at Old House Gardens, a quality source for heirloom bulbs.
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