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Some of us are completely daffy about daffodils! Symbols of rebirth and new beginnings, daffodils have become synonymous with the Cancer Society’s annual Daffodil Day appeal.
Ahead of this year’s appeal (on tomorrow, August 28), we dug a little deeper to learn more about one of New Zealand’s favourite spring blooms.
Few flowers announce the arrival of spring quite like daffodils. When these bright flowers begin appearing in gardens, parks and flower shops, they bring a welcome splash of colour and reminding us that the worst of winter is behind us.
A member of the narcissus family, daffodils originate in the northern hemisphere, but they’ve certainly made themselves here due to our temperate climate, which provides ideal conditions for these hardy and radiant flowers to flourish.
Daffodil bulbs can be planted in autumn and once settled into their new home, they can reward gardeners with new blooms year after year.
They’re wonderfully easy-going plants requiring little maintenance. Daffodils perform best in deep, moist, fertile, well-drained soil, with plenty of sunlight. If bulbs have multiplied and the flowerbed is becoming crowded, autumn is also the time to lift and divide them.
Once flowering has finished, the spent flower heads can be removed but resist the temptation to cut back the foliage. Allow the leaves to die back naturally as they continue feeding the bulb and storing energy for next season’s display.
As with other members of the narcissus family, daffodils have six petals surrounding a central cup or corona. There are 13 recognised divisions, identified by characteristics including trumpet length, cup size, colour and the number of flowers on each stem.
Trumpet and large-cupped daffodils are among the most common varieties in Kiwi gardens, while unusual cultivars such as the marabou can look almost nothing like the traditional daffodil.
However, even keen gardeners with their beds full of dills can still make a difference come Daffodil Day. Visit daffodilday.org.nz to make a donation.
