Plannning Your Daffodil Garden Part 3

In the first two parts of my Planning Your Daffodil Garden series I told you about the importance of taking notes and pictures so you won't have to waste energy trying to remember what was happening in your garden in the spring. If you're doing most of what I suggested all you'll have to do in the Autumn is plant your bulbs and other plants and mulch your garden. If you missed the first two posts you can read them below this one.

Decide Which Daffodils Need To Move And Which Ones Need To Go

I've already written about the need to divide established daffodils if they've stopped blooming. If you've decided to naturalize your bulbs this won't be a problem. You can just leave them where they are. But if your bulbs have been planted in a more formal flower bed you'll want to dig them up and divide them after they've gone dormant. You can plant the extra ones in another area or share them with another gardener.

If you have daffodils that have never bloomed well you may need to move the whole lot of them to another location. If they are in a wet area or if they are in deep shade they'll never thrive in their present location. Look around your yard to see if you can find a more suitable home for your bulbs. If you can't find a good spot give them to friends or neighbors who have better conditions.

Another reason you might want to move your daffodils is if they clash with other flowers that are planted near them. For example,your pink cupped daffodils probably won't look very good planted next to orange tulips. This is the very sort of situation taking those notes and pictures will help you remedy.

If you have daffodils that you just don't particularly care for and you decide you'd rather plant something else in their spot dig them up as soon as the leaves die back and give them away. I personally never met a daffodil I didn't like but if you decide you don't like those shaggy double daffodils planted by your porch don't feel guilty about it. It's your garden and you should fill it with plants that you love.
Note: If you need to dig up daffodil bulbs that appear to be diseased or infested with some type of pest,it's best to throw them away or burn them. You don't want to spread viral diseases to other gardens. Some older varieties are especially susceptible.

Decide Which Daffodils You Want To Plant Next Autumn

It may seem a little early to be planning your autumn bulb purchases but it's really not. Many bulb sellers are already having advance sales. You can usually get a substantial discount if you order early and of course you won't have to worry about the bulbs you want not being available. I've learned this lesson the hard way more than once. I tend to be a procrastinator when it comes to ordering my bulbs and plants. Once a few years ago a daffodil I wanted to buy was sold out because I tried to order at the last minute. The next spring and summer there was widespread flooding in Europe and that narcissus wasn't available again for several years. So if there's a spring blooming bulb you've had your eye on don't wait too long to order it. If you order early you will usually not be charged until your flower bulbs are actually shipped.


If you've been taking your notes and photos you've probably realized that you could have a much longer daffodil season if you added some different types to your garden. Maybe all your daffodils are early blooming trumpet types. You could plant some narcissus triandrus daffodils for mid season blooms. If you live in the south add some jonquillas and tazettas for mid to late season blooms. In the North narcissus poeticus and large flowered double daffodils will make a great finish to the daffodil season.

If all your daffodils are yellow you may want to get some white ones. Also consider pink or orange cupped types. Don't forget to add at least a couple of miniature daffodils to your garden. These narcissus types are usually some of the earliest to bloom.

You should also consider the other bulbs you'd like to grow in your garden. Don't forget to allow space for bulbs like tulips,irises and hyacinths. Small bulbs like scilla,crocuses and muscari(grape hyacinths) make great companions for your daffodils. Most of these are early bloomers. Late blooming daffodils will bloom at the same time as mid season tulips and early irises. And don't forget to plant some pansies,violets and violas in your spring garden. One of my posts in the near future will be on daffodil companions so watch for that.

I'm not totally finished with this topic but my next few posts will concentrate on trouble shooting. If you've never heard of terms like deadheading, blasting and blind daffodils you'll want to stay tuned.

Whether you celebrate Easter or Passover I hope you have a safe and happy Holiday weekend!