Before being introduced to the beautiful world of fragrant and uniquely flowered Narcissus I thought all daffodils looked like the standard King Alfred type, plain, big, bright and kind of ugly — not to mention cheap and widely available in the spring. Here our local wholesalers sell big bunches of them for less than a dollar each. The grocery stores practically give them away, too. But after a visit to a grower friend’s cooler in March I was permanently hooked on the beauty and charm of specialty daffodils. One can find delicate, fragrant, spicy, unique, ruffled, double, romantic and beautifully colored varieties all in the same family!

 

Daffodils have so much to offer the specialty cut flower grower. They are hardy, easy to grow, rarely plagued by pests or disease and multiply rapidly. Even a small initial investment in bulbs will bring good returns far into the future. But probably the most important benefit to growing specialty daffodils is their ability to generate early spring sales. In March and early April customers are so hungry for anything flowering, fragrant and alive after a winter of bleak imported product. This crop, which needs very little care and almost no protection, can fill the ravenous spring appetite of customers.

My little daffodil patch is now home to roughly 7,000 bulbs and includes 15 beautiful varieties. They are certainly an addictive crop as I have next year’s wish list already penciled out and it contains 10 beautiful additions.

Growing daffodils
Upon receiving bulbs in the fall, we prepare beds as normal giving the soil a light liming, a dose of a balanced organic fertilizer (this time specifically for bulbs) and a heavy dressing of compost. These ingredients were incorporated into the soil and then the beds were made, roughly three feet wide. We planted three rows of bulbs in each and then covered the beds with a thick layer of rotted horse manure and shavings for spring weed suppression. By early March strips of green leaves were pushing their way up through the soil in search of light.

One thing to keep in mind in the spring is that slugs LOVE daffodils. I had previously thought nothing ate them but slugs can be quite a problem in wet years like the one we’ve been having here in Washington.

While many of the Daffodils sold well as straight bunches to wholesalers and designers I did find that mixed bundles flew like hotcakes. I ended up selling almost 50% of the crop as “mixed fragrant heirloom narcissus” bundles and plan to expand the idea next season.

Generally all of the varieties had a nice vase life of roughly a week if harvested in colored bud. They also stored extremely well for a week to ten days in the cooler before selling with no decrease in vase life on the consumer’s end.
The following is a list of the varieties I have grown and loved:
Accent: A stunning, tall variety with ivory petals and a sun-proof pink throat. The largest of the pink types we grow, these flowers look as if they were stolen from a 16th century Dutch painting.

Actea: This dainty little treasure belongs in the Poeticus division, with small, delicate blooms sporting a dark red-rimmed yellow throat. Highly fragrant and very unique, it was the last variety to bloom here on 5/13.

Bridal Crown: A beautiful double creamy variety sporting multiple blooms per stem. Strongly scented. Designers absolutely loved it!

Cheerfulness: Both yellow and white are must-haves if you are growing daffodils. Beautiful dainty blooms atop strong, tall stems. Boasting a wonderful spicy fragrance, great vase life, the ability to stand up in tough weather and long-lasting blooms these are truly a treasure.

 

Craigford: Similar to Geranium in look, but smaller and more delicate in growth. White multi-headed blooms with tiny orange throats. It should be picked when just opening since it seems more prone to wind and frost damage than other varieties.

Delnashaugh: One of the prettiest of all! Huge white and apricot pink petals tightly packed together like a handful of crumpled, ruffled silk. It was very popular with designers and customers in search of something a little different. Good vase life and a wonderful sweet scent.

Dick Wilden: Huge, ultra-ruffled golden blooms. Absolutely stunning! The first variety to bloom in our garden and it always sells out immediately. Highly fragrant, a must-have!

Erlicheer: This little sweetie will blow you away with its heady fragrance and enormously full flower heads. Each stem often carries 15-20 blooms!  Wonderful in mixed bundles or on its own. Good vase life, should be picked a bit more on the open side.

Fortissimo: Enormous flowers on a super-tall 20” stem. This vibrant yellow bloom is complimented beautifully by a deep orange throat. Fragrant, tough and cheerful to boot, one of my favorites!

 

Geranium: A larger, more robust version of Craigford. Tall stems loaded with multiple, sweetly scented blooms. White petals with a small orange center scream spring. Holds much better in harsh weather than Craigford and seems to also have a better vase life.

Ice Follies: In truth, I didn’t much care for this variety. Simple white flowers with a canary yellow center. No fragrance. While ordinary, it is vigorous, holds up well in bad weather, has a good holding ability and looks nice in mixed bunches.

Orangery: Extremely unique! This twisted, unusual bloom brought a lot of attention and excitement from customers. Creamy white petals give way to a crumpled orange collar. Light fragrance, fair vase life. While a bit more fragile than others it certainly will draw attention.

Pink Charm: One of my favorite varieties! Similar to Accent but with a darker, orange-pink throat on a slightly shorter stem. Delicate, beautiful and romantic, this treasure is also awesome in mixed bundles. Wonderfully prolific, hardy, an all-around gem! Light fragrance.

 

Sir Winston Churchill: Of the white doubles, this guy is truly King! Huge thick stems topped with full, multi-headed blooms. Strong fragrance, great vase life and sells well with designers. A must-have!

Tahiti: Tall, strong stems support beautiful sulfur yellow flowers with a deep orange-red double throat. Sweetly scented with a great vase life.

Thalia: Pure white and highly fragrant, this delicate variety is well received with designers even though it is somewhat fragile. Be sure to pick it early and avoid storage for best vase life.

White Lion: Thick, super full, creamy blooms touched with the tiniest hint of yellow in their throats. Massive thick stems support the large, showy flowers. Great vase life!

Sources
Gloeckner has a good selection of bulbs, most 35-50 cents a piece if purchased by the case. You’ll want to place your order by early July for the best selection. www.fredgloeckner.com

Brent and Becky’s Bulbs has an incredible selection of varieties but their prices will be substantially higher. If you’re looking for a hard-to-find variety, this is the place to check. www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com.

Erin Benzakein runs Floret, a small organic flower farm in Washington State; www.floretflowers.com.