Create your own Daffodil Hill. 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. Poor drainage often results rotting bulbs even in rocky, clay soil. The flatter meadow should have nice, deep soil with good drainage. This allows heavy rain from pooling 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. I place them 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. Classically throwing out baskets of daffodils and planting them where they lie is more appropriate to England. This technique is use wherever else has cold winters and they spread. If possible, sites should have some natural interest. It could include 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. These include the 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 and are used in warm weather areas. They are called “naturalizing” in some areas of the southern United States as they re-bloom in following years.

On my daffodil hill, I have found a pleasing combination to be Scarlet O’Hara, Ice Follies, and Salome. 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. 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. They will rest happily until they receive moisture with which to start their growth.