Ask Ella: Daffodils Don’t Have To Be Difficult
Daffodils are one of the most iconic “Spring Flowers”– a budding symbol of warmth and newly-thawed soil. Having long been synonymous with the months of March, April, and (if you’re lucky) May, daffodils are actually a plant that enters the garden in Fall; late-October/ early November is an ideal time to plant daffodil bulbs.
To plant daffodils, order bulbs in April, and save them until September/October for planting. Daffodils do well in full sun, in well-drained, slightly-acidic soil (hillsides and raised beds are key, since they facilitate in drainage). Flowers should be spaded at least 12-inches apart, at a depth of at least twice the height of the bulb, though exactness isn’t crucial, and as long as you provide the bulbs with plenty of water after planting, this flower is hard to mess up. William Wordsworth, in his seminal poem about walking through nature alone, concludes “I Wander’d Lonely as a Cloud” with the couplet, “And then my heart with pleasure fills/ And dances with the daffodils.” In this same spirit of frolic and mirth, on we move to spring: may your days be sunny and your daffodils abundant.
