GARDENER'S WORD

Last year I bought several varieties of narcissus bulbs for my garden borders and containers.  The idea is that they will multiply and I plan to have them among the herbacious perennials which flower in summer.  That's the plan!  Anyway, this one is a little cutie with multiple-heads to each stalk and a fragrance which is powerful.  The flowers are small but impressive with creamy white petals and an apricot corona (the bit in the middle that sticks out).  Narcissus 'Doll Baby' The label says that the planting time is September to December with flowering April to May the following year.  The height is 30cm (12in or 1ft).  Plant the bulbs pointed end upwards and grow in moist but well draining soil or compost in sun or partial shade. 

Another gloriously sunny day for Easter Saturday.  Here, in the UK, we usually expect it to rain on bank holidays!  Anyway, it is sunny with blue sky and temperatures in the 20s.  My garden, which is mostly a summer garden, looks lovely with all the daffodils put on a show.  I bought several varieties of bulbs last year which are now in bloom and, of course, there is the ever-reliable Tete a Tete among them.  Narcissus 'Falconet' is one of my new narcissus, or daffodils if you prefer to call them that.  They are really lovely and the fragrance is divine! Narcissus 'Falconet' The label says that they enjoy sun or partial shade and like moist, humus-rich soil - I grow mine in Miracle-Gro All Purpose compost.  They achieve a height of 14", are highly-fragrant and, as you can see, are multi-headed: there are four flowers on the stem in the above image.  Narcissus 'Falconet'

Wow!  I got a surprise today when I was pottering in the garden.  It's glorious weather for Good Friday with the temperature here on the Pennines of West Yorkshire in the 20s.  I was watering and feeding plants growing in containers when I was hit by a glorious fragrance. I'm looking around, wondering where it was coming from, thinking it was from outside my garden, and realised it was right under my nose!  It was some of the narcissus which I bought and planted last year and which I am growing in a free-standing trough: Narcissus 'Geranium' is highly fragrant.  Narcissus 'Geranium' - highly scented The fragrance of narcissus Geranium reminds me of lilacs, or violas, or even hyacinth.  The perfume is sweet and heady.  Next year I shall plant them where the fragrance can be appreciated more than in a trough in front of the raspberry canes.  Additionally, narcissus Geranium is multi-flowered and I have counted between...