Daffodils Gardening 101 continued
The rule: Daffodils should not be planted in an area where they will be shaded most of the time.
I've read that one shouldn't plant under evergreen trees, or under the "drip" of any tree, or on the shaded side of the home or buildings. However, the practical side of this is a little more difficult then it first appears. One has to work with space they have, and in most cases, the garden was not originally designed to support daffodils, but to maximize the profits of a builder that sub-divided the area. In other words, "we have to dance with the ones that brung us," as quoted from Darrell Royal, the former football coach at the University of Texas.
Do not plant under the "drip" or under the limb spread of a tree is a good rule of thumb to go by, but not the last word. Under certain applications, we may be planting outside the rule. I have, and still do, successfully grow show quality daffodils under, one, a tall pine, and two, a tulip poplar. To accomplish this, first, the trees are trimmed of all limbs to a height of 30 to 40 feet; second, the daffodil beds are located on the south side of the tree with no other sun obstructions; and, last, they receive a full dose of morning and afternoon sun, with only a couple of hours around noon that they are shaded.
Other daffodils beds in my garden do not receive direct sunlight until after 9:30 in the morning and are shaded again by 3:00 in the afternoon. The shade is provided by deciduous, or hardwood trees, that do not produce foliage until after or around the time of full bloom. By digging time, the trees are in full leaf, and provide very nice shade, thank you, for digging work parties. The daffodils produce show quality daffodils, consistently, year after year.
Because our home faces the north, we cannot grow daffodils in the totally shaded north beds that visitors see when they first arrive. I've been asked, "where are the daffodils? I thought you were the Washington Daffodil Man." It's when I take them out back that the question is answered in quantity and quality.
With that in mind, I can summarize that a gardener has to select daffodils with their garden in mind, and in which their garden will support. Look for those sunny spots, even if it has speckled shade from a deciduous tree. By the time the tree is in full leaf, the daffodils will have absorbed the energy needed to make next year's flowers.
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