Daffodils in the Southern Hemisphere - 2007

[annew]

I also like that one, and no.2 the failed one is lovely and delicate. I obviously have very poor taste!

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
Mark
That is a Maggie type of flower!!    It would attract attention provided the viewer has good eyesight-it is quite tiny.
The small intermediate pink would be a worthy flower for an alpine trough but too expensive and its need for constant moisture may be a bit of a problem.

[Mini-daffs]

 
Anne, No 2 is only just too big to be miniature and it is almost certainly fertile so that choice puts you well and truly into the expensive tastes category.
The 8 petalled one has no market for us at the moment. No exhibition grower would buy it. In terms of colour and size it would be highly desirable if it had 6 petals.

[Paul T]

Graham,

I too like the 8 petalled one... has character and definitely a great colouration.  I really like the moschatus plena as well.  Can't say I exactly ahte any of the others either, to be honest!! 

[Mini-daffs]

 
A few photos of what is flowering today.
I hope you enjoy them.

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
A few more photos for you.
Lesley a few photos of N. cordubensis showing various degrees of heavy scalloping.

[mark smyth]

I need to stop saying "wow" but Miniature reverse bicolor - side view with ruler.jpg WOW!

[Mini-daffs]

 
Mark, that little flower has been around a couple of years now. It has won reserve champion at the Australian Daffodil Championship in 2005. I need to lift it and pot it up separately.
It won't make the show bench this year as it has some insect damage on the other side.
It is a really high quality exhibition flower but the ruler was more to show the size of our flowers.
The real breakthrough is the standard miniature 1W-P.

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
A few more photos.

[mark smyth]

Reserve Champion, Champion Miniature and Champion Division 6.jpg w.o.w

[Mini-daffs]

 
Mark, you have managed to be wowed by one of the really high class miniature exhibition daffodils!! What is happening? It is a bit like picking out the most expensive designer clothes from a collection of expensive designer clothes! However, it is a very nice flower and all you have proved is that it has wider appeal than daffodil afficionados.
And now a few photos for Maggie!! What is the Scottish terminology for waif?

[annew]

I do love those with a gold edge to the trumpet (sigh...)

[Lesley Cox]

Me too Anne, and also the "tiny unusual coloured seedling,' last in that first group from yesterday's (Sunday's) posting. The ruler is a great help in showing the scale of these little gems.

[Maggi Young]

Supposing one were to buy some of these little cuties from Graham.... how would one go about "turning them around" to life over here in the UK?

[Lesley Cox]

No doubt Anne and Mark and others can give you advice about this Maggi but going in the other direction, there are two options both used here for bulbs from the NH.

1) The bulbs, which arrive in our late winter/earlyspring, can be put in a chiller and left there until it is time to plant them out, i.e. our late summer/early autumn. This means 6 months out of the ground (or more, depending how long they were out in the north, before sending) and in this time they can lose a great amount of their substance, which is gradually used up to keep the bulbs alive. I find that chilled bulbs usually come up too early, they are so desperate to grow on and though most usually come through this time, many are weak and take two or three years to recover fully, assuming they come up the second year, which they don't, always.

2) Same arrival time, but can be planted out (or potted) right away and they will most likely come up out-of-season but at least are getting good nourishment from the beginning. They will most likely flower out-of-season as well and gradually lose the will to grow according to a  northern cycle, and take on a southern one. This too has its problems but over all, I find it the better way because the bulbs aren't weakened during the turn around time.

In a large batch, you will lose some which is why I prefer to import at least 3 of any one kind so that the odds of getting something of each through, are higher.

Having said all that, some bulbs turn around easily, other are difficult. I find crocuses difficult, bulbous irises easy (relatively, even junos) and cyclamen easiest of all. Some bulbs are determined to take three seasons to make up for two, others will try to do in one or two, what they'd otherwise do in two or three. Each genus seems to be a little different. I've not imported narcissus from the northern hemisphere. Weldenia candida sent either north or south, just goes on growing until it get to the right flowering time then proceeds to do that.