Daffodil Gardening 101 continued
Historic daffodils are less-than-perfect in appearance by modern show standards. The historic daffodils are often tough, vigorous, graceful, subtle, fragrant, and unusual, as a group of daffodils.
In Europe, the Middle East, and northern Africa, daffodils grow wild. Over time, some of these wildflowers - - such as the 'pheasant's eye', N. poeticus, became well loved garden plants. Through the years, gardeners discovered unusual forms of daffodils -- including doubles such as 'Van Sion' or 'Telamonius Plenus', in 1601 - brought them home, multiplied, and shared them. Daffodils, however, never enjoyed the great popularity of tulips and hyacinths, which from 1600-1850 were developed in thousands of varieties. In fact, most new daffodils during this period were tender tazettas for commercial forcing, such as 'Grand Primo Citroniere', 1780.
But then in the mid-1800's, a couple of British enthusiasts took another look at daffodils, and started re-collecting them from the wild and breeding new garden varieties. The landmark trumpets 'Emperor' and 'Empress' were introduced in 1865, and by 1900 roughly a thousand new varieties had joined them.
Thousands more were introduced by 1940, making the early twentieth century a Golden Age for daffodils. New forms were created (hardy poetazes such as 'Elvira', 1902). Colors were intensified (orange-cupped 'Fortune', 1917) and diversified ("pink" cupped 'Mrs. R.O. Backhouse', 1923). Size and substance were both improved and the advances continue today.
In 1997, the American Daffodil Society established the Historic Pre-1940 Cultivar Section to illuminate daffodil history and encourage the preservation of these living antiques and their potentially valuable gene pool. You can help. Enrich your garden and touch the past by growing a few of these endangered beauties for yourself.
The information in this article was contributed by Scott Kunst, Old House Gardens - Heirloom Bulbs, 536 Third St., Ann Arbor, MI 48103-4957 (734)995-1486. "Catalog $2" "mailto:OHGBulbs@aol.com"
"http://www.OldHouseGardens.com"
"Sister's" Heirloom daffodils "http://www.taunton.com/fg/features/plant..."
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