Not a lot on Daffnet right now, so though I would practice the system and add a little something of interest.
While visiting John Reed this spring, I rescued this seedling from a pile of discarded bulbs and seedlings from the year before. I though the color was outstanding. Sorry, I had collected the pollen before taking the picture.
Wow, you should see the ones he’s keeping.
Regards and Happy New Year Everyone,
Larry
Reed discarded seedling
Larry –
John Reed isn’t the only one with a great eye for color it seems, gorgeous!
Thanks for posting and Happy New Year to all.
Linda
I ordered 5 dozen or so of mixed daffodils from Havens a few years back. It was like a grab bag. Nothing marked and it was a so enjoyable to see what varieties would come up. Many bulbs produced very lovely flowers some of which might be named varieties or at least siblings of some very good daffodils. I really enjoyed the surprise each spring to see what would come up. Unfortunately they quit offering the less expensive mixed dozens. I guess when you breed for perfection, and through away the seconds, the rejects can be a blessing for someone who just likes big spreads of garden daffodils.
Bill,
There are Daffodil Nerds out here. I am for one. I don’t like to grow any daffodil in my garden unless it has a name or a number. That brings up an interesting dichotomy each year after I transplant my seedling from the seedling bed into my “growing” beds. I want to number them, but I’ve learned already to hold off numbering until they actually bloom. Seedling count dwindles each year. I’ve noticed that the Mitch catalog has a lot of cheaper “older” garden daffodils in the back. Try some of those.
Larry, it’s high time you start registering some of these, those you think you might have the only stock of, but especially some of your new seedlings. Don’t be too particular–all I’ve seen of yours are great!
Bill and Clay, the daffodil world is full of three kinds of folks—those who love all daffodils, those who give garden room only to named or numbered flowers 9aka exhibitors), and the rest of us. And all are needed to make the daffodil world keep spinning round.
When our local society digs and sorts, some reject anything with a lost label, while others (the leaders in “daffodil rescue”,) grab up the rejects and plant them along the roadsides.
Loyce,
I’m a lot of bark and very little bite. When I dig daffodils each year, I always end up with orphans (those that I lost the label or were found after the digging). I can’t throw them away. I package them and give them away at the bulb exchanges.
I also have some “lost labels” daffodils in my garden that I mark as Unknown because I like them and don’t have the heart to put them in the rubbish. I have some beautiful bulbocodiums and some jonquil miniature that I have grown for year and have no name for, but I keep them going. I have some Frank Galyon daffodils marked N. fernandesii “Galyon Strain” that always bloom as micro-miniature bulbocodiums. They reproduce faster than rabbits. I can’t just toss them. :-)
Clay