I have a friend who is fond of saying, \u201cthe devil is in the details,\u201d and she is right.\u00a0 Ambitious plans have come to a screeching halt because someone forgot the AAA batteries.\u00a0 Failure to tighten a strategically placed button can cause an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction.\u00a0 Most of us could make up our own lists of minor detail omissions that caused major problems.<\/p>\n
Miniature daffodils are often relegated to \u201cdetail\u201d status in the spring garden.\u00a0 This is a mistake, because while little, they add a lot of emphasis.\u00a0 But if they are indeed details, I think the angels are on their side.<\/p>\n
All daffodils are members of the Narcissus genus, which experts and aficionados generally break down into a number of subgroups\u2014usually up to thirteen–according to traits of various species and varieties.\u00a0 The American Daffodil Society has long recognized a group of \u201cADS Miniature Daffodils\u201d, but it is a selection of varieties drawn from many of the recognized subgroups.\u00a0 Just about the only thing miniature daffodils have in common is small stature.<\/p>\n
So how big is a miniature daffodil?\u00a0 This is also a subject of discussion among narcissus lovers.\u00a0 The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the nation\u2019s hotbeds of horticultural knowledge, invokes the standards used by the ADS and the best narcissus retailers, characterizing minis as plants that grow about six inches tall, with one-inch flowers.\u00a0 The real key to miniature status, they say, is that the plant has all the traits of the larger members of its particular class, but is proportionally smaller.\u00a0 A true mini, for example, would not combine six-inch stature with three inch-wide flowers.<\/p>\n
At this time of the year, minis are the stars or grocery store flower departments and garden center shelves, ready for their moment in the spotlight as household or table decorations.\u00a0 These potted specimens are generally not identified by a specific varietal name, but resemble miniature versions of classic large-cup daffodils like \u2018King Alfred\u2019 or \u2018Carlton\u2019.\u00a0 Most can be planted outside in the garden after they have flowered.<\/p>\n
And outside is where they should be\u2014in large numbers.\u00a0 I love to plant them under deciduous trees, because it is easy to fit the bulbs in soil pockets between tree roots.\u00a0 Minis also work well in containers, naturalized in grass, or adorning the edges of borders and beds.\u00a0 They can be sprinkled throughout rock gardens as well. Wherever you put them, the early types look especially lovely when combined with pansies or grape hyacinths. \u00a0In addition to beauty, they share another major virtue with normal-size daffodils\u2014varmint resistance.\u00a0 Four-footed garden marauders will bypass minis in favor of tastier treats, like tulips or hydrangea tips.<\/p>\n
One of the best known miniature daffodils is little \u2018Minnow\u2019, a variety so garden-worthy that it has received the Royal Horticultural Society\u2019s Award of Garden Merit.\u00a0 \u2018Minnow\u2019 is a tazetta-type daffodil, with multiple fragrant flowers on each stem.\u00a0 The cup is yellow and the perianth or surrounding petals are ivory or white.\u00a0 The plants top out at about six inches.<\/p>\n
Years ago I bought a bag of \u2018Hawara\u2019 triandrus narcissus and was pleasantly surprised by their good looks and toughness.\u00a0 They are a little taller than the standard mini\u2014probably about eight inches in height, with medium yellow cups and petals.\u00a0 The petals are slightly reflexed or back-turned, giving the flowers a windswept look.\u00a0 Like \u2018Minnow\u2019, \u2018Hawara\u2019 plants feature more than one flower on each stem.\u00a0 Another, somewhat similar mini is the classic \u2018Tete a Tete\u2019, which multiplies well over time.<\/p>\n
\u2018Sun Disk\u2019 looks just as you would expect–rounded, with a somewhat flattened golden cup, surrounded by lighter yellow petals.\u00a0 It is a fragrant, late-bloomer, one of the jonquilla tribe of daffodils, which are especially beloved\u2014and successful–in the American south.\u00a0 If you grow it up north, install it in a place where it can get a good summer baking.<\/p>\n
Minis have the same cultural needs as other daffodils, including well-drained soil and sunshine.\u00a0 Planted under deciduous trees, they can also do nicely, as they flower before the trees leaf out. \u00a0After the blooms have faded, let the foliage ripen and begin to turn brown before removing it.\u00a0 Because of their small size, minis are somewhat less ugly in decline than larger daffodils.\u00a0 If you are worried about \u201cthe uglies\u201d, plant the daffodils amid daylilies or hardy geranium, which will cover the dying foliage nicely.<\/p>\n
Minis are generally quite inexpensive, so you can easily plant them en masse.\u00a0 Don\u2019t even think about planting individual bulbs.\u00a0 Dig holes big enough to install odd-numbered groups of bulbs for a naturalistic effect.\u00a0 I like to put in at least five per planting hole.<\/p>\n
If you want to cheat, buy a few pots of miniature daffodils now and plant them in gaps in your garden.\u00a0 No one will be the wiser.\u00a0 Otherwise, order some for fall.\u00a0 One good source is Brent and Becky\u2019s Bulbs, 7900 Daffodil Lane Gloucester, VA 23061, (877) 661-2852, www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com.\u00a0 Free catalog.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I have a friend who is fond of saying, \u201cthe devil is in the details,\u201d and she is right.\u00a0 Ambitious plans have come to a screeching halt because someone forgot the AAA batteries.\u00a0 Failure to tighten a strategically placed button can cause an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction.\u00a0 Most of us could make up our own lists … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[274,257,1374,1035,369,590,477,673],"class_list":["post-1846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-container-gardening","tag-deer-resistant-plants","tag-miniature-daffodils","tag-miniature-plants","tag-narcissus","tag-rock-garden-plants","tag-spring-bulbs","tag-spring-flowers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1846"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1847,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1846\/revisions\/1847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}