The best kind of setting for a planting of daffodils is a hillside or undulating land or meadow. The slope of a hillside immediately removes the threat of poor drainage and resulting rotting bulbs even in rocky, clay soil. The flatter meadow should have nice, deep soil with good drainage so that heavy rain will not pool on the surface. Avoid planting in the depths of a swale as well.

In order to estimate how many bulbs to use, I generally plant about 7 top sized, bulbs about 14-18” apart depending on their size. Groups of little daffodils would be planted closer together than larger, taller varieties. All can be scattered as well if desired although if they don’t propagate themselves, it would look unnatural to see one or two planted together. This technique (classically throwing out baskets of daffodils and planting them where they lie) is more appropriate to England or wherever else has cold winters and they spread. If possible, sites should have some natural interest such as a stream or woodland so that the daffodils can be scattered naturally over the area.

Daffodils streaming into or out of a woodland is a lovely sight. A meandering path amid the daffodils or alongside them gives further interest. The spacing of 7 every square foot and a half would take 28 bulbs per 9 square feet or one square yard.

Which Daffodils to Use?

The large trumpet daffodils such as Dutch Master, Unsurpassable, and others may not be as long lived as Mediterrean types such as Thalia, a Triandrus type, or Trevithian which is a Jonquil type with grassy foliage rather than the straps of the classic daffodils.  They are also fragrant  and will return reliably in future years.   They are used in warm weather areas, and are called “naturalizing” in some areas of  the southern United States as they re-bloom in following years.

I have found a pleasing combination to be Scarlet O’Hara, Ice Follies, and Salome as the latter blooms later than the other two and extends the blooming time.  The colors of the three are yellow with orange cup, white with flat yellow cup which fades to cream, and white with a yellow/peach trumpet becoming more peach with age then fading.

If tall, green grass is present, the area can be mowed before the bulbs are planted and again before they begin to emerge.  The daffodils will generally grow faster than the grass and not be obscured by it so they can be planted on a dried out meadow or hillside.

Dig a hole about 9-12” deep or deeper if the ground is flat and plant a group of about 5-7 with the bulbs about 1 ½ inches apart, not touching.

Cover with the excavated earth and move to the next hole.  The fall rains will take care of the moisture and they will rest happily until they receive moisture with which to start their growth.