I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hill,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Excuse me for stealing the lines from Wordsworth, but how can you better describe the beauty of daffodils? An annual joy to behold is the spring display of daffodils currently poking their heads up all over the country. I checked this morning, mine are coming along great. My home-town has the most fantastic display of Daffodils each year on the grass verges along the dual carriageways, which should give you an idea of how easy they are to grow.

~~~~ General ~~~~
Daffodil, Latin name Narcissus, are a beautiful bulb grown plant available in many varieties. Bulbs should be planted in autumn and flowers will arrive in early spring. Daffodils lend themselves to random planting rather than planting in rows. Many varieties of Daffodil will spread by producing more bulbs and flowers each year so it is important not to overcrowd them when you initially plant.

~~~~ Care ~~~~
Dafodils are said to do best in ordinary soil which does not hold to much water, otherwise the bulbs may rot. I live in an area of clay soil which becomes waterlogged in winter and I have not had any problems with my Daffodils. After flowering the foliage should be left to die back naturally before being cut. Next year your bulbs will flower again. I think that it may be OK to cut back the foliage before it dies, locally all our grass verges are planted with Daffodil bulbs and they are mowed back long before the foliage dies with no apparent harm to the bulbs.

~~~~ Cut Flowers ~~~~
I never cut my Daffodils in the garden. I buy cut flowers instead, by March you will be able to buy 2 bunches of daffodils for a pound, hardly worth sacrificing the ones in your garden is it. When you buy cut Daffodils, buy the ones which are
still in bud as they are not a long lasting flower and open ones will die soon. Daffodils bleed a sap when you cut the stems, this can slow down their water intake so it is important to make an angled cut on the stems before placing them in water. For extra longevity recut the stems every 4 to 5 days to maximise their water intake.

Enjoy the display of Daffodils soon gracing our "green and pleasant land" (lots of quotes today!). Think about filling your own garden with them next year, come autumn the garden centres will be selling the bulbs cheaply and plentifully.