Spring flowering bulbs are a must for every garden. They provide cheerful early-season color at a time when it is most needed, both in the landscape and by our Winter weary souls. Daffodils are some of the most delightful Spring flowering bulbs! What makes them so delightful is their ease of care, diversity in their flower color, size, shape and fragrance, resistance to pests and disease, and their carefree ability to increase and return year after year, with little effort.

Daffodil Selection

Did you know that there are over 32,000 registered cultivars of daffodils? This number gives us some indication of the immense diversity of this plant. Daffodils are classified into 13 separate divisions as noted by the Royal Horticulture Society here and some varieties are easier to find than others. As you become more familiar with, and addicted to, daffodil cultivation, you will never get tired of adding more of these bulbs to your collection, possibly seeking out a few hard-to-find daffodils.

Note: All daffodils are narcissus, but not all narcissus are daffodils. For the sake of simplicity, we will refer to all narcissus and daffodils mentioned in this article as daffodils. Their care is the same and separating them will only complicate matters.

Daffodils require a cold period to bloom. Most daffodils will flower best in USDA Hardiness Zone 7 and lower. If you live in USDA Hardiness Zone 8 and higher, there are some daffodils that will do well in your area, or you may purchase pre-chilled bulbs. It will help to work with your local Master Nursery® Garden Center to determine which daffodils do best in your particular zone.

All daffodils bloom in the Spring. Within the Spring season, some will bloom early, mid-season, and late. Knowing when a particular daffodil flowers, will allow you to plant varieties for a succession of blooms to extend the whole season. As you begin growing daffodils, it may be easiest to choose some of the most popular and easy to find varieties

Early-season Bloomers

• Barrette Browning – white petals with small orange cup, 1 to 2 feet tall, lightly fragrant.
• Rijnveld – golden yellow, 15 inches tall, delightfully fragrant.
• Tete a Tete – buttercup yellow, multi-flowering, miniature at 6 to 8 inches tall, fragrant.

Mid-season Bloomers

• Dutch Master – large, golden-yellow daffodil, 1 to 2 feet tall, lightly fragrant.
• Ice Follies – creamy white petals with a pale-yellow cup, 20 inches tall, lightly scented.
• Pink Charm – ivory petals with a coral-colored cup, 18 inches tall, fragrant.
• Professor Einstein – snow white petals with a reddish-orange cup, 16 to 18 inches tall, fragrant.

Late-season Bloomers

• Acetaea – pure white petals with a small gold cup rimmed in red, 1 to 1 ½ feet tall, fragrant.
• Cheerfulness – small flowering, multi-flowering and multi-stemmed, white double flowers with pale yellow flecks, 1 to 2 feet tall, very fragrant.
• Tahiti – large, double flowering daffodil, bright golden-yellow with bright orange ruffled cup, 16 inches tall, fragrant.
• Thalia – downward facing, pure white flowers with 2 to 3 flowers per stem, 1 foot tall, very fragrant.

Planting Daffodils

Daffodils are purchased and planted in the Fall for Spring blooms and are extremely easy to plant.

• Plant daffodils in a sunny to part-shady, well-drained site.
• Daffodils may be planted in single holes, rows, or in groupings. Amend the soil with Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Soil Builder [Eastern & Midwestern Regions | Western Region] by mixing 3 inches of the soil builder into 6 to 8 inches of native soil. This will help increase drainage and nourish bulbs.
• Place daffodil bulbs 6 inches deep, pointy side up.
• No need for deer or rodent protection, these bulbs are pest proof!
• Water the area after planting daffodils and wait for Spring!

With such wide diversity in one group of flowering bulbs, considerable beauty, ample fragrance, significant bloom time, and ample pest resistance, wouldn’t you agree that daffodils are delightful?

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As with most other plants, Fall is an excellent time to plant vegetables! Many vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are of a higher quality when grown in the Fall, while others, like kale, develop better flavor after a frost. Spinach, chard, kale, collards, mustard, and arugula all grow rapidly and flourish at the end of the season, ideal for autumn gardening! Loose-leaf lettuces also do well. Now is the time to increase the ROI of your vegetable plot and plant cool season vegetables for the autumn table.

PREPARING THE GARDEN

• With both in-ground and raised beds, begin your Fall vegetable garden preparation by pulling out the spent Summer vegetable plants that are no longer producing.
• Remove all weeds and all other debris from the bed as well.
• GARDEN BEDS: Spread and rake out evenly, across the entire garden bed, a 3-inch layer of Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Soil Builder [Eastern & Midwestern Regions | Western Region].
• RAISED BEDS: If you plan to begin a new vegetable garden this Fall, a raised bed is the way to go. If you’re in the Eastern and Midwestern Regions, simply fill the entire bed with Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Soil Builder.
• Following the directions on the bag, sprinkle Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Tomato and Vegetable Food on the surface of the soil.
• Till or spade the area to completely incorporate both the soil and vegetable food.
• Now you’re ready to plant!

BEST VEGETABLES FOR THE GARDEN

• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Swiss Chard
• Collards
• Kale
• Lettuce, Head
• Lettuce, Leaf
• Mustard
• Rape
• Spinach

CARING FOR THE GARDEN

It is important to know the average first frost date of your garden location. This will assist you in determining your planting deadlines so that your vegetables are producing and ready to harvest before it gets too cold. Some autumn vegetable varieties will tolerate cold better than others. Read seed packets carefully to determine what vegetables will grow best in your area and to calculate how much time you have to grow a particular one. Note that some vegetables, like greens, may be harvested when they are young and even more tender and nutritious. This will reduce the quoted days of maturity. If you happen to be short on time, purchasing small Fall vegetable plants from your local Master Nursery® Garden Center will reduce your growing time even further.

Whether starting seeds inside, direct seeding, or planting vegetable starts, always water your garden well and keep it moist, not wet, to help your plants to thrive. Mulch your bed with straw or salt hay to help moderate soil temperature and retain soil moisture.

Later in the season, some Fall crops may benefit from a little extra protection from the elements. A cold frame constructed or placed over the vegetable garden, or hoops with frost fabric on them, will help protect your vegetable garden from cold weather and frost, extending your season further.

Harvest your Fall vegetables as soon as the plants reach edible size. Even after the first frost, you’ll be able to continue harvesting many Fall vegetables to use and enjoy in your favorite autumn dishes.

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Spring blooming bulbs: not only do they provide beauty and color when it is particularly missed and best appreciated, but did you know, about 30 percent of the food we eat depends on the pollination of bees? If we are negligent in protecting our pollinators, our landscapes, gardens, and diets will be irrevocably changed. Planting bulbs in the Fall is an easy way to ensure not only abundant Spring color and beauty but essential food for our key pollinators. Flowering bulbs delight and keep giving to both people and pollinators, year after year, with little effort and considerable reward.  So, let’s start planting!

To make sure that your bulbs thrive, it is important that they be planted properly. Following best planting practices will guarantee that both you and your pollinating friends will be compensated, come Spring, with both flowers and nectar.

• Begin by choosing bulbs that will do well in your USDA Hardiness zone. Your local Master Nursery Garden Center is an excellent resource for exceptional gardening information and products. The staff will assist you in selecting the best bulbs for your garden.
• West Coast bulb planting is best done between the end of September through the end of November when nighttime temperatures are consistently between 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Next, choose a site with good drainage. As a general rule of thumb, bulbs do not like wet soil. Amend your planting area with an ample amount of Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Soil Builder [Eastern & Midwestern Regions | Western Region]. This will add nutrients to your soil as well as aid in soil drainage. Bumper Crop® Soil Builder is a premium soil amendment containing superior natural and organic ingredients including composted chicken manure, earthworm castings, and kelp meal. All of these ingredients contribute, long term, to the health of your soil and the plants that you grow.
• The general rule for planting bulbs is pointed side up, and plant at a depth of three times the height of your bulb. A handheld bulb planter or an auger attached to your household drill will make planting a cinch. Dig your planting hole one-inch deeper than recommended and backfill with one inch of soil before setting in the bulb.
• Backfill the hole with the amended soil that you removed, and water the area thoroughly.
• It is beneficial to mulch your planting area to moderate soil temperature, retain soil moisture, and suppress weeds.

Simple, right? Now sit back and wait. You’re guaranteed beautiful blooms, bountiful bouquets, and bodacious bees next Spring!

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