The Year Of The Daffodil

This year

the daffodils have never looked more spectacular

They must love wet feet

for this has been the wettest winter on record

and they've never looked better

While England's national flower is the rose,

the daffodil belongs to Wales

Let's take a look

at the effective ways daffodils are used in England...

Many are seen in lawns like 'bouquets'

in a lovely mix of colors and sizes

If you cut their leaves prematurely, daffodils may not bloom the following year

so lawn mowers mow around the area until it is safe to remove the leaves

(which is six weeks after bloom, according to the Royal Horticultural Society)

Notice this display is mostly white daffodils with a few yellow ones

Planting different varieties keep the look casual even in a formal row

Here they line a driveway

- what a wonderful greeting after a day at work -

I see them growing around features

such as under trees...

 ...and around signs

I love this cheerful mix of colors and heights

And here's a wonderfully unique combination with perennial evergreen, bergenia

This hanging basket holds salmon & pink colored primroses

with a dwarf variety of daffodil

Interestingly, tulips are not as widely seen in England

Even in Amsterdam, 

there was hardly a tulip to be seen last year

I'm not sure why this is - perhaps tulips just are not fashionable at the moment

In the US, I think tulips are just a touch more popular to grow than daffodils

What do you think...

Do you prefer daffodils over tulips?

Visually, what is your favorite way to grow daffodils?

- all photos my own -