Although we're closing in on the vernal equinox, it has physically felt like spring for a little while already. I don't perceive that as a good thing, but it is what it is! The fields are 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule at this time. In a typical year, our substantial harvests begin during the second week of April. The first daffs already had buds last week, so only time will tell how the season will kick off. I wonder if we might have some things to sell by the last week of March.
Daffodils are one of the first field flowers and have become a staple source of revenue for me. I love the striking variation of forms, the intense fragrance, and the reliability. I've loved daffodils since I was a little kid, but I never knew about narcissus diversity until I was growing cut flowers professionally. The perfume can be intense, but it's one of my favorite things in the world. I aim to add a few new daffodils every fall to round out my catalogue with interesting textures and forms that blend well with the color palette of my existing daffodils and the other crops that bloom alongside them.
Color & Form
Our farm has daffodils available in pure white, buttercream, lemon, gold, orange, coral, apricot, and warm greens. Daffodils have a limited range of color choices but make up for it with their diversity of flower forms that mix and match so beautifully together. There are many singles beyond the standard yellow, some with large cups and others with small ones. There are doubles which resemble gardenias. Some are borne in sprays while others are large and sit alone. Some have unique reflexed petals. One of my favorite forms, split-corona, has a tropical appearance.
Seasonality
In general, daffodils and other narcissus bloom in three windows on my farm. I can modify this slightly through two methods. One is wet storage in the cooler for up to 14 days, which I've found does not affect quality. Any longer than that, they look okay briefly but perish fast. Another is through "succession" planting, which is not the same as with annuals, but rather achieved by planting the same cultivar in multiple locations. I have some in the main field on the north side of the property, some along the foundation of our farmhouse, and some along the south-facing hill down to Ley Creek. Bloom time seems to be delayed by only about a week or two, but it makes a difference when you consider the cold storage potential.
Compatible Ingredients
We often pair daffodils in designs with evergreens, last season's dried flowers and seedpods, flowering branches, willow armatures, currant foliage, marsh marigolds, specialty tulips, and lilac. All narcissus have a reputation of being difficult to mix with other things because they release a toxic sap that may reduce the vase life of its companions, but this can be mitigated by hydrating them separately after a fresh cut and/or using a CVBN tablet in the water. I haven't personally experienced this problem though.
Varieties We Grow
Early - mid April:
Van Sion
Dutch Master
Ice King
Replete
Apricot Whirl
Erlicheer (paperwhite)
Mid - late April:
Bridal Crown
Pink Charm
Ferris Wheel
Tahiti
Kedron
Extravaganza
Wave
British Gamble
Late April - early May:
Yellow Cheerfulness
Stainless
Sir Winston Churchill
Recurvus/N. poeticus
Geranium
Slice of Life
Where to Buy
As with all of our wholesale products, if you are interested in purchasing narcissus, you must join and shop through The Flower Collective of Central New York.