Topic: Daffodil varieties

[laurieuk]

Last Sunday on our local radio show they spoke about the newer daffodil variety "Pink Silk" which is a pink trumpet, the lady said it cost £8.00 per bulb, I feel comments like that could stop new growers starting. First Pink Silk can be bought from good firms at 3 bulbs for £7.50 secondly it was introduced in 1980 so is not really new. At  a local show yesterday the best medal bloom was awarded to a bloom of Broomhill introduced in 1965. There were at least 4 exhibits of Pink Silk in the same show.

[sunloving]

My frustration with most gardening shows is that they throw money at everything , what's missing is a gardening on a budget show, for instance I don't have seed trays but use veg and fruit containers and yoghurt pots. I don't use seed compost I just sieve multipurpose. I use empty compost bags as path liners.
 If I want a plant rather than spend 6.99 on a small pot at the garden centre I'll try seeds or buy a cutting.
 Non of these things were ever learned from some rich southerners in 3 acre plots with money to burn.
New gardeners must get put of by how much it costs and worse are manipulated into planting out half hardy bedding in March by cynical or just plain inexpert garden centre staff.

[Palustris]

Always maintained that the reason why so many Nursery prices jumped incredibly a few years back was the Garden make over show where the price of plants was shown, London prices. So of course all the rest of the country followed suit and upped their prices to that level.

[galina]

Last Sunday on our local radio show they spoke about the newer daffodil variety "Pink Silk" which is a pink trumpet, the lady said it cost £8.00 per bulb, I feel comments like that could stop new growers starting. First Pink Silk can be bought from good firms at 3 bulbs for £7.50 secondly it was introduced in 1980 so is not really new. At  a local show yesterday the best medal bloom was awarded to a bloom of Broomhill introduced in 1965. There were at least 4 exhibits of Pink Silk in the same show.

http://www.gardens4you.co.uk/index.php?/Daffodil-Trumpet/Narcissus-Pink-Silk-10-flower-bulbs#.VwEGXPkrLIU

6.99 for 10     

I enjoy the variety of different types from a reduced price pack of 50, planted way too late because it had been hanging round a bit at the garden centre, but caught up beautifully in its second year.  No Pink Silk though, but I have seen it in so many gardens that I like my types better anyway.  Doesn't have to be expensive to get variety. 

Has anybody done their own crossing or grown them from seed?  That should bump up variety very economically (at least in theory) 

[laurieuk]

I used to save seed each year, it takes about four years to the first flower but as most are cultivars every flower is different and not seen before. You do not get many exhibition type flowers but over the years I have registered 4 Anns white, Anns cream , Anns blush and Molly Ann. My wife's name is Ann and our grand daughter is Molly. I have shown 3 of the varieties in London ( best in Section Anns blush). I now have no garden so it has  come to an end. You have to register through the RHS which is quite a game.

[Tee Gee]

My beef is the reduction in packet/bag contents in recent years.

Where I used to get anything from 100-200 seeds in a packet now it is down to around 30 in a packet which is in most cases around a minimum of 3p a seed. as opposed to around 1p and when you get to the Cucumber seeds at around £1 each

Things are now getting a bit rediculous, needless to say I now buy less seeds and save more of my own!

Compost is another relative case. heres an example:

In days of yore: It was £ 4.90 for a 70 litre bag, and now about the same price or a little higher for a 60 litre bag.

This equates to: Before 7p per litre. now 8p+ a litre yet you have not forked out any more money but you get less for it!

Or put another way around.......  a 16+% increase in price!

I challenged the manager of DT Browns on this practice and his reply was ....we have to make our money somhow!.....needless to say I did not buy any of his seeds even at £1 a packet.

At the shows you used  to be able to buy end of season stock for £1 a packet now they make purpose made seed packets that contain around 30 seeds and the charge you £1

[galina]

Thank you Laurieuk,  that's really exciting.  I am going to see whether I can find pictures of these.  4 years is quite a long time, but having 4 novel varieties to your name in honour of your wife and granddaughter is really something.  Congratulations!  That is fab.  Thank you for telling us.   

Do the RHS continue to multiply and sell?  Are they now in the National Collection.  Shame you can't do it any more. Does the seed need cold stratifying?  Sorry for all the questions.

Found Molly Ann - it's exquisite. 

I used to save seed each year, it takes about four years to the first flower but as most are cultivars every flower is different and not seen before. You do not get many exhibition type flowers but over the years I have registered 4 Anns white, Anns cream , Anns blush and Molly Ann. My wife's name is Ann and our grand daughter is Molly. I have shown 3 of the varieties in London ( best in Section Anns blush). I now have no garden so it has  come to an end. You have to register through the RHS which is quite a game.

[galina]

In days of yore: It was £ 4.90 for a 70 litre bag, and now about the same price or a little higher for a 60 litre bag.

Glad that was before my time, as I struggle lifting the 60l bags, especially if they have been left out in the garden centre and are sodden. 

[johhnyco15]

My beef is the reduction in packet/bag contents in recent years.

Where I used to get anything from 100-200 seeds in a packet now it is down to around 30 in a packet which is in most cases around a minimum of 3p a seed. as opposed to around 1p and when you get to the Cucumber seeds at around £1 each

Things are now getting a bit rediculous, needless to say I now buy less seeds and save more of my own!

Compost is another relative case. heres an example:

In days of yore: It was £ 4.90 for a 70 litre bag, and now about the same price or a little higher for a 60 litre bag.

This equates to: Before 7p per litre. now 8p+ a litre yet you have not forked out any more money but you get less for it!

Or put another way around.......  a 16+% increase in price!

I challenged the manager of DT Browns on this practice and his reply was ....we have to make our money somhow!.....needless to say I did not buy any of his seeds even at £1 a packet.

At the shows you used  to be able to buy end of season stock for £1 a packet now they make purpose made seed packets that contain around 30 seeds and the charge you £1

tg have you noticed that now there is no Bordeaux  mixture blight resistant toms are now £3.80 a pkt of 5 that is plain daylight robbery in my mind rant over its a lovely morning here on the sunshine coast but i have to go to London for a christening  rant over have a good day on lot plots  envy envy

[Obelixx]

Getting back to daffs, you can buy packs of 50 Pink Blush very cheaply from the Netherlands - http://www.fluwel.com/daffodils/pink-blush.html - at 32 cents a bulb so 4 for a pound.  It pays to shop around.   Plant prices are generally cheaper over here than in the UK anyway.

Having said that, I have an exposed garden so tend to stick with shorter varieties and simple flower heads as they are less wind resistant and don't get broken or bent over.   Ice Follies have been the best of the taller ones, bulking up very nicely over the years but generally speaking things like Minnow and Tête-à-tête do best here though I've tried some Pheasant's Eye this year.

[laurieuk]

Hi Galina,  I have just put pictures of my daffodils on my website so you can see them there. The reproduction of the bulbs is left to the grower. I have never put mine into  commerce but have sold for Marie Curie and given to other exhibitors. When yo grow from seed you only have one bulbs to start with as most daffs are cultivars. so we do what is called twin scaling , this is cutting the bulbs into very small parts and growing on. I think there is some confusion on the site about flower shows and gardening programmes. It takes many years to get a variety into a catalogue hence the high price.

[laurieuk]

I hope this is a picture of my first three seedlings that I registered with the daffodil society. I ad best in section at a London show with Ann's Blush and best in show at Wincheap with Ann's cream. Ann's White has had best in show at several local shows.

[galina]

Thank you Laurie for showing us these beauties.  Yes I can see that Ann's White is the most exotic, but I love the darker fringe on Ann's Blush.  Really something to be proud of!

I had no idea that this is how the bulbs are multiplied.  I assumed that they would split like onions/garlic rather than growing on from little slivers of bulb.  Yes a lot of work for the nurseries.

They are lovely and a wonderful tribute to your wife.  Thank you for the picture.