Thursday, May 7, 2015

Daffodils, Little Faces of Gold



For about eight years now, every summer I place a bulb order with Van Englen Bulb Co., mostly for daffodils although some alliums, hyacynths and tulips do also make their way into my order. I always plant at least 250 daffodils which are quickly going from being single bulbs planted just how you're NOT supposed to do it, to clusters at least a foot around. I think of it as a savings account. I diligently make a "deposit" every fall and the "interest" yields me beautiful spring gardens! I tend to stick to a simple palette of mostly King Alfred traditional, hardy, yellow daffodils... but have enough "egg faced" ones to offer a good sparkle in the garden. Once in awhile, I will order up 25 or so with pink centers or orangey-red centers. Now the end of the first week of May, the daffodils are about at their peak. The areas where the snow was slower to melt, still hold many that have not blossomed as of yet, so they will no doubt make great companions for the rhodies and the bleeding hearts when they begin to blossom. After such a tremendous winter, they say we are about two weeks behind. That makes the show of spring blossoms  an especially great sight to behold.

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