Is there ever a bad year for daffodils? But this year looks to be a tremendously good year for them. As I write looking out onto daffs glinting in the garden, their cheering, uplifting flowers announce spring’s arrival.
The daffodil season here at Columbine is long. One of the first to flower is the wild daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus which appears in our orchard from the beginning of March and we end the season with the poeticus varieties in May.
The colder the weather, the longer they last but for all their daintiness they are tough and will withstand frost, icy conditions, winds and rain. There are a huge range of daffodils to choose from with approx 13,000 different cultivars. I adore them.
I hold the dispersed National Collection of Engleheart narcissus here at Columbine. The collection is classified as an historic collection and covers all narcissus bred by the Rev. George Herbert Engleheart – a vicar who loved breeding daffodils.
As a result of my knowledge of growing daffs I was given the honour of proof reading (as did Hew) checking the information and commenting on the final text of Naomi Slade’s new book ‘Daffodils’. It’s a wonderful book that is superbly written with lavish photography and will surely be one of the best books on daffodils out there. I feel very proud to have been a part of it.
Meanwhile work is progressing well with the creation of our new walled garden. The builders have broken up the concrete floor and as I type are putting in all the drainage. We have ordered some plants and roses which arrived this week – lots more to get and to sow from seed but it’s a start and it’s all very exciting. March is likely to have bright sun, rain, hail and wind often all in one day – but whatever the weather – spring is here.
Kate Elliott came to Columbine Hall in 1997 when she was sixteen. She is now head gardener but also helps with managing the property generally and in conducting guided tours.