The rains have begun in California, and it is very easy to dig the holes and to plant clumps of daffodils. I plant mine in groups of 5 as they are large double or triple bulbs and produce a nice effect.

The old King Alfred variety has been replaced by “Dutch Master” and there are other larger and smaller yellow trumpet daffodils as well. The earlier and smaller “February Gold” blooms in February just like its name. The later and larger yellow trumpet “Unsurpassable” makes a very showy statement and then there is “Trevithian” which is a jonquil type, very hardy and quite a pretty variety. “Yellow Cheerfulness” is a late blooming multi flowered variety and “Golden Dawn” is a new hybrid which is said to grow like a weed and is fully adapted to California.

White varieties include “Mount Hood”, “Thalia”, the Paper White varieties, and “Cheerfulness” which is a multi flowered variety like its yellow conterpart. “Ice Follies” begins white with a flattish yellow trumpet which fades to ivory with age.

Interesting combinations of colors include “Salome” which is White with a peach trumpet, “Scarlet O’Hara” which has yellow petals with an orange trumpet, “Flower Record” also yellow and orange and smaller varieties of Jet Fire (like a smaller Scarlet O’Hara) and Tete a Tete, with a small birght yellow trumpet.

Left: Tete a tete Right: Yellow Cheerfulness