|
 |
 |
|
| Go greener |
|
| With a growing number of gardeners eschewing chemicals in favour of natural alternatives, we can suggest some effective products from our organic gardening selection |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Relax and refresh |
|
| Good food freshly prepared daily, aromatic coffee, chilled wine and a grassy play area for the children. What more could you need? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Food heaven |
|
| Our Farm Shop is heaven for food lovers! Delicious handmade food, top quality groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables and stylish cookware and gifts. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| The Discovery Walk |
|
| As thousands of daffodils herald the spring, stroll or stride around our Walk while the youngsters enjoy the Nature Trail |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
|
A host of golden daffodils…
|
| Thursday, 4th September 2008 |
|
|
|
IN THE GARDEN WITH PETA MARSHALL
Wordsworth knew a thing or two about poetry, and daffodils as well, of course. Ask anyone to name ‘spring flowers’, and most will come up with the daffodil within the first two or three suggestions.
Few plants epitomise more the essence of spring – and the promise of warmer days ahead – than the daffodil. Its golden yellow trumpet flowers, many with a delicate, evocative perfume, can really brighten up a dull spring day. And, in fact, many of them technically bloom in late winter, too.
The reason I’m writing about them now, in late summer, is that this is the planting season. And for the next three months or so, you can plant all manner of bulbs for flowering in the spring. These include, in no particular order, tulips, crocuses, snowdrops, hyacinths, grape hyacinths, bluebells, fritillaries, tritelias, scillas and delicate bulbous irises.
As for daffodils, however, these comprise the biggest single group of spring bulbs. They are the hybrid forms of large and trumpet-flowered narcissus, and botanically the plants are quite complex. Those who know about these things have, over the years, divided the entire range into 12 distinct divisions. I won’t bore you with all the differences but, for example, ‘Division 1’ plants are those having “one flower to a stem, with the trumpet or corona being as long as, or longer, than the perianth segment”! See what I mean? It’s gobble-de-gook for most of us, and all we really need to know is when it will flower and what colour it’ll be!
So, which are my 10 favourite daffodil varieties? Again, in no particular order, they are:
‘Dutch Master’ – large deep golden flower, excellent in pots or the garden. 16in. (40cm) high.
‘Mount Hood’ – broad, pure white petals with an ivory white trumpet, great for planting in lawns. 18in. (45cm) high.
‘Romance’ – deep rose pink cup with a fluted brim, surrounded by milky white petals. 15in. (38cm) high.
‘Merlin’ – pure white petals with a delicate bright yellow cup edged in orange-red. 16in. (40cm) high.
‘Rip Van Winkle’ – a double yellow, dwarf variety; some liken it to a loose dahlia flower. 5in. (13cm) high.
‘Tahiti’ – golden yellow double flowers with bright orange-red parts between the petals. 15in. (38cm) high.
‘Hawera’ – two to six cream-yellow flower appear per stem; slightly fragrant. 8in. (20cm) high.
‘February Gold’ – golden yellow and early; one of the all-time best. 12in. (30cm) high.
‘Tete-a-Tete’ – golden yellow, multi-headed; long-lasting and dwarf; one of the best for garden or pots. 6in. (15cm) high.
‘Bravoure’ – very large flowers comprising white petals and a long, deep yellow trumpet which fades to sulphur yellow. 16in. (40cm) high.
What most gardeners forget is just how easy it is to grow daffodils, and bulbs in general. Put them in, and forget about them. They flower and do it every year. Everything a bulb needs to grow (nutrition and moisture) is already in the bulb. All it needs is the soil for anchorage and the right time of the year, and it will flower. These are the easiest of any plant to grow.
Most bulbs are sold now in packs, which are quick and easy to buy. But there are also the loose bulbs, sold from large boxes or ‘bins’. These enable you to pick and choose.
The packs that are sold are generally displayed by colour, which means that if you fancy some whitish daffodils you can go straight to them. But while you’re looking at them you might be swayed by some cream, double or brightly-coloured daffs.
The garden centre will not only provide you with a wonderful range of bulbs to try, but also you will be able to get all of the items you need to get the best from the bulbs – such as bulb fibre compost, tools, planters, bonemeal, windowboxes and even decorative pebbles to set containers off nicely.
Many gardeners are confused over how deep to plant bulbs. Magazines and books don’t always help either, by giving very specific depths and distances, and suggesting that if you get it wrong the bulb will just not grow. This is true to some extent, but the bulbs (and Nature in general) are in reality rather more forgiving.
This is my own rule for daffodils: plant them at twice their own depth. So if a bulb is, say 2in. (5cm) tall, it should sit in a hole with 4in. (10cm) of soil on top of it.
Go on, indulge yourself! Daffodils are not expensive and you could end up with a very colourful start to next year!
By the way, did you hear the one about the old chap moving a wheelbarrow full of daffodil bulbs through the allotments. His mate asked: “What are you doing?” He replied: “I’m wheeling these daffodil bulbs around to keep the crocodiles away.” “But,” said his mate, “there are no crocodiles here in this part of Reigate.” The old chap smiled and exclaimed: “S’workin’ then!” Happy gardening!
Leading Cornish daffs come to Priory Farm
Cornwall-based leading bulb supplier Fentongollen Farm (what a wonderful name!), which provides the world-famous Eden Project with its daffodils, also supplies Priory Farm. If you saw the fantastic display of bulbs on Priory Farm’s Discovery Walk back in the spring you’ll be delighted to know that The Plant Centre is now selling the same bulbs for you to grow at home. But don’t wait too long – not because it’ll be too late for the planting, but because all the best bulbs will be sold!
This week in your garden
September can sometimes be a dry month, so watering tubs and containers is still necessary, particularly on sunny days.
Gather the fruits of greenhouse-grown cucumbers as soon as they are ready – leaving them on the plants too long will reduce the plant’s cropping potential.
Disbud chrysanthemums and dahlias, and liquid feed weekly with a high potash fertiliser.
The tops of carrot and parsnip roots will turn green if you don’t cover them with soil.
Peta Marshall is the plant centre manager at Priory Farm in Nutfield. Website: www.prioryfarm.co.uk
NEXT WEEK: Autumn versus spring planting
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
