DAFFODILS

My mum adored daffodils. Every spring there would be a vase of daffodils in the house, often Dutch Master — the classic golden yellow variety with the long striking trumpet. Sometimes Ice Follies, with their shallow white cups that fade to white as they age. Often double headed varieties, which I found to be vulgar as a child.

In later life, I’ve been struck by the sheer variety of daffodil varieties. I once passed a garden on King Street in Aberdeen with ‘Orangery’ in full bloom, their deep orange split coronas showing in quite dramatic fashion, just how different a daffodil can be.

I now live in a cottage in Edinburgh, and the only thing I’ve planted in the shared garden to the back and in pots at the front of the property — are a rich variety of daffodil varieties. Below are the ones that have bloomed so far. Some seem not to have made it for their first year in situ, I’m hoping they make an appearance in the future.

MINNOW

A lovely miniature daffodil. I adore the shape of the tiny yellow cups, like little LEGO pieces.

KIWI SUNSET

A quite dramatic daff. I enjoy how the deep orange cup is broken up chaotically by the yellow tepals, implying motion.

APRICOT WHIRL

I was well into adolescence before I even knew pink was an option for daffodils! I love the gentle salmon-pink of the split corona on this one.

DUTCH LION 

Honestly, I have tried and failed to spot the difference between this and ‘Doctor Witteveen’ — they’re just too similar! Even so, a lovely jumble of yellow frills!

ROCKSTAR

The frills on mine have come out a bit more straight laced than some of the blooms I’ve seen from this variety online. Maybe they’ll get more dramatic as they mature?

ICE FOLLIES

A personal favourite — the shallow yellow cups that mellow to a frosty white with age framed by snow white tepals. I had to plant some.

AVALON

An inverted colour daffodil? I had to! I love the starburst of white that bleeds from the cup.

GREEN GARDEN

Why get one inverted colour daffodil when I can get two? I think I’ve got these two right. It’s my own fault for planting two near-identical varieties.

AMADEUS

Gorgeous fat, round, white tepals and a dramatic atomic orange frilly cup.

BERLIN

A fiery orange frilled petticoat of a cup framed by rotund lemon yellow tepals. There’s something dignified about this one.

???

A mystery. I didn’t order any double headed pink daffodils, yet here we have one. I’m tempted to say it’s a cross involving Apricot Whirl, but who knows?

ECLAT

Just look at the drama on this one. An explosion frozen in floral form. I love the fragmented burnt orange ring of the cup, mellowing to yellow at the centre.

DOCTOR WITTEVEEN

A tight cluster of scrambled eggs at its core framed with ivory tepals.

DUTCH MASTER

It’s a classic! Mine have come out a little… juvenile looking?

SEGOVIA

My other miniature, a delightful pixie-sized corrugated cup in butter yellow. A late bloomer, this one.

NO SHOWS (so far…)

SINOPEL

LEMON TAFFETA