Narcissus January 2008

[Lvandelft]

Today on only 300 m. from my house I made this picture of N. Rijnveld's Early Sensation.

[ian mcenery]

Here is my very small group of Cedric Morris which has been floering since before Xmas. Last year it stayed in perfect condition for 2 months what a star

[ian mcenery]

I meant to add this one in a trough facing the weather. last year it had 10 flowers and flowered in November. It is now  a shadow of its former self. The bottom picture shows it last year. Is it trying to tell me something?

[David Nicholson]

too damp and cool last Summer, possibly?

[dominique]

Thanks Luit and Ian for these two daffodils. Where can I buy (or by exchange) and find Cedric Morris ?
Ian, I see to day too Narcissus romieuxii in some subspecies or varieties. Marvellous at this time of the year. One of my mesatlanticus have a flower without corona and perianthe !!!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I agree with David, Ian -
Funny season last year, with first the heat of March/April that made the bulbs go into dormancy much earlier than they should have, followed by the wet/chilly Summer instead of their preferred sunbaking regime. 

[David Shaw]

I would echo the thoughts of David and Luc. We have very few buds showing and I put this down to the lack of sumer baking.
It is a bit difficult to tell at the moment because of the very low temperatures that we have had for a month now, most unusual. Nothing is moving and I daren't water as I would normally be doing.

[ian mcenery]

I hope you are all right about the affect of last years weather on the narcissus as my ones in pots don't look too good either. Funnily enough my autumn crocus were also poor but the spring ones look more hopeful    Listening to others experience I am glad it isn't due entirely to my incompetence

[Lvandelft]

I would echo the thoughts of David and Luc. We have very few buds showing and I put this down to the lack of sumer baking.

Hello all, I can tell you that I grow mine in trays or pots outside with only lights on when lower than -3 C.
About the end of May I take the trays out and put them somewhere dry and warm (glasshouse out of sun or shed)
There the average temps duriong summer will be at least above 20 C. The end of September I replace them outside
into the soil, where they flower very well every year
Here's a picture from today, they started to flower in November.

[Gerdk]

Hello all, I can tell you that I grow mine in trays or pots outside with only lights on when lower than -3 C.
About the end of May I take the trays out and put them somewhere dry and warm (glasshouse out of sun or shed)
There the average temps duriong summer will be at least above 20 C. The end of September I replace them outside
into the soil, where they flower very well every year
Here's a picture from today, they started to flower in November.

Luit,
it's impressive to see the results of controlled conditions during the resting stage even after a wet and cold summer.
Thank you for sharing your experience.

Gerd

[Lvandelft]

For those who love Narcissus, here's an old picture from 1905.
It's from William Robinson's Flora and Sylva.
I put in a piece of interesting text too.
Would like to know if Lord Kitchener is still in cultivation? It was still in the seventies...!
Hope you like it.

[Paddy Tobin]

Very interesting post, Luit.

Isn't the quality of the illustration fabulous. Beats photography, I think.

Paddy

[Lvandelft]

Last week I showed Narcissus moschata (In the Mid-Winter-Fowershow) an today I saw at the weekly flowershow in Lisse this very old (probably) selection of it: N. W.P. Milner, which was already registered in 1869, and still in culture!

[Maggi Young]

Narcissus W. P. Milner is a favourite of mine. It is easier to grow and source,  than N. moschatus and its strength as a good plant is obvious from its long life in cultivation and commerce. There are not so many varieties lasting so long. A real success story, isn't it?

[mark smyth]

I like it also. It's available in all garden centres in the autumn