I just wanted to give a short update: Most Surprising was a season one set of Jonquil/Viridiflorus/standard crosses John Hunter made. These have a heady vanilla scent and start blooming just after the first daffodils opened. These cultivars kept sending up stems and bloomed for over 5 weeks.
As the season is winding down with the havens 7’s and the poets including Frost in May all out and smelling up the countryside.
The Adams Miller and Phillips bulbs are now breaking ground and will be in bloom for the fourth of July.
We have just started removing the discards in preparation for digging which will conclude by the end of June. From the rogue bulb size they have grown well. 400-600 cultivars will be dug as well as another two seedling rows. I have retained about 40 as many were div 5 crosses which have only had a few years to acclimate and grow for evaluation. I kept too many and will pay for it in space used. I am trying to get them all to fit into one row so that space can be made for leaving rows fallow.
I am preparing another acre that will be converted from buffer, mixed forage to daffodils. This area has lower fertility and is a lot of space for little return either in crop or hay. I will run water lines to it and hopefully with the better watering will produce good flowers. I will be moving the 2014-2017 seedlings out to this area this summer. Two of them were picked for show having better and color and form than the prior generation one an all-white Split and the other a White orange. With a successful move of these, I will not have too many flowers blooming in the seedling beds. Here is hope for this good practice to continue.
We have decided to keep the seedling area at the house so will be growing my weeded 1-5 year olds with more control of water and growing conditions at home.
The first three weeks of the season I was busy doing crosses and did not take any measurements so only late registrations this year. The Miller/Phillips/Hunter/Reed row will be dug this year so save up for a good selection this Fall at the board meeting.
Vinisky seedlings have done well enough to be sent on to PHS on this year is Evesham x Princeton with a rugged disposition and size. The other will be sent out next year again a 3W-Y that has thrived here.
Another of the Karnstedt seedlings will be send on a Magician/Split seedling that has brighter color and speckling similar to pink sparkler.
I am sending on the Reed 2W-O that multiplies well and has not rotted 98-82-10 orange tint X Lutana is an early midseason cultivar that has preformed well.
I hope to register Poe a poet that has a blood red much more sunfast cup than other poets. It needs water to keep its rim, but the cup does not burn in the traditional sense. If well-watered the flowers show no sign of burning for several days and their perianths can enlarge and whiten without cover. As these flowers fade I am looking forward for digging, prep for planting seedlings out, planting seed and starting in late August planting back what has been retained.
Very nice! Things to look forward to!
Dianne Bowdtch
Impressive growing field. I’m pulling weeds and mulching my beds. Spraying for bulb fly and starting to dig a few stray bulbs before I cannot find them. What do you do for weeds?
Weeds are a fact of life. Trash them, or if in your mulch pile will add
more weeds from the seed they produce.
Its almost time for your South of the equator flowers to bloom. Show us some pics.
Hi Bill,
I think it may be just a little early for the New Zealand, and Australia
Daffodils. The spring/fall equinox is about September 23 this year. Our
April is their September. Years ago I participated for a couple years with
the WDS and New Zealand for the equinox, by receiving a package of
daffodils dry packed at the Dulles Airport, taking them to Marie
Bozievich’s home and putting them is water to revive them, and the next
morning taking the beautiful daffodils to the New Zealand Embassy and
staging them for a high tea in the afternoon. This effort was
coordinated by Robert (Bob) Darling of the WDS. Marie, Fran and I enjoyed
both ends of it, the recovery of the daffodils, staging them at the Embassy
and the tea party in the afternoon.
Clay
Hi Bill,
I think it may be just a little early for the New Zealand, and Australia
Daffodils. The spring/fall equinox is about September 23 this year. Our
April is their September. Years ago I participated for a couple years with
the WDS and New Zealand for the equinox, by receiving a package of
daffodils dry packed at the Dulles Airport, taking them to Marie
Bozievich’s home and putting them is water to revive them, and the next
morning taking the beautiful daffodils to the New Zealand Embassy and
staging them for a high tea in the afternoon. This effort was
coordinated by Robert (Bob) Darling of the WDS. Marie, Fran and I enjoyed
both ends of it, the recovery of the daffodils, staging them at the Embassy
and the tea party in the afternoon.
Clay
Correct, in normal seasons flowering of standard daffodils in the North Island starts about August 15th. For me it is about September 15th.
Sorry for the confusion. I meant the ones Micheal is turning around in USA. HIs original post said “The Adams Miller and Phillips bulbs are now breaking ground and will be in bloom for the fourth of July.” It was always fun to see summer bulbs bloom their 1st year of a turnaround.
Hello ClayYes the flowers were sent from Koanga Daffodils. Max and Kath Hamilton and Peter and me. We loved being involved in what I believe was known as the Fall into Spring party. We supplied the flowers for a number of years.RegardsLesley Ramsay Sent from Android device
Hi Lesley,
I apologize for not including Peter and Max Hamilton in my post, but in my
defence I was doing this off the top of my head and couldn’t remember the
name of your daffodil organization, Koanga Daffodils, and therefore did no
want to give the wrong names of the New Zealand contacts and cause a
misunderstanding. Years ago when Peter was a guest speaker at an ADS
Convention I briefly met you and Peter. I remember that meeting, but I’m
sure I was just a person in a crowded room so I don’t expect you to
remember me. Again, I apologize for not including Max, Peter, you, Kath,
and Koanga Daffodils in the Spring Fall New Zealand daffodil party at the
Embassy in Washington DC.
Clay
No apology needed Clay.I just wanted to make the connection with what was a most enjoyable and challenging exercise!! It’s nice to have the memories.Kind regardsLesley Sent from Android device