Jessica Daffodils are one of the most colourful and iconic of spring flowers – nothing quite says that warmer weather is coming like the flowering of the daffodil. They are a very easy flower to grow and you can plant them in borders or in containers, and they will do equally well as long as they are well looked after. Part of the secret to growing beautiful flowers is knowing where to buy daffodil bulbs that are from decent nurseries. The better the bulb is, the more chance you have of your daffodils being beautiful and lasting you throughout the spring months, with a radiant bloom.
So how do you know where to buy your daffodil bulbs? Look for an online shop that has a good reputation – it’s much more convenient to buy bulbs online and have them delivered to you. This also means you have to be more sure about where you are buying from, because it won’t be as easy to judge the quality without seeing the bulbs in person. Spend some time looking into the gardening company or centre and see which nurseries their bulbs come from. You might not know of them immediately, but you can look into the different nurseries and find out which ones are known for the most high quality plants and flowers. See which country they are based in, and look into the reviews of the garden centre as well to see if people have been happy with the quality of their bulbs.
These are some of the things to look out for when assessing the quality of the bulbs you receive:
- Check the appearance. The bulbs should have a uniform appearance and be generally quite small and firm. If any of the bulbs look unusual, check to see if they feel soft, and if they do, discard them.
- Check if the bulbs float in water. If you are concerned about the quality of any of the bulbs in the batch, put them into some water. Throw away the bulbs that float – rotten daffodil bulbs will be light, so this is an easy way to tell if they are healthy. Make sure you plant the bulbs quickly afterwards, otherwise they will remain damp.
- Feel the bulbs to check if they are healthy. Make sure they are firm and don’t compress when you squeeze them, because this is an indication that they are rotten.
Once you have checked your bulbs over to see if they are healthy, you are ready to plant them. You should plant your daffodil bulbs around September to October time, and then they will flower in spring, usually between February and the beginning of May. There are so many different types of bulbs to choose from, including trumpet daffodils, large cupped daffodils, small cupped daffodils, double daffodils and cyclaminieus daffodils, so see which ones appeal to you. Make sure you plant them in a spot where they are going to get plenty of sun; they will do well in spots where there is a small amount of shade as well.