The daffodils are definitely on their way towards peak and if I had to guess I’d still predict that peak will be perfectly timed during next week’s school vacation.

(see below for the latest “daff cam” shot. And in case this is your first time checking out the “daff cam”, it’s a bit of a misnomer. It is not a live video feed. Rather, every few days I stand on the millstone at the entrance to the Bosquet to take another shot. Very low-tech time-lapse photography. Click on images for larger view; hover over for captions.)

But what if the daffodils didn’t bloom? We’d feel stricken – betrayed and letdown. Unlike fly-by-night tulips, daffodils are supposed to faithfully increase, bloom every year, and outlive us. It’s almost ironic then that Narcissus are associated with unrequited love (due to their frustrated namesake from Greek mythology) and every year we get the question, “why aren’t my daffodils blooming?” In a comment on last week’s post, Marianne asked,

I have 10 different varieties of daffodils and this year only 3 varieties will bloom. I have heard that overcrowding can decrease bloom but not all are crowded! The blooming ones are in the warmer spots but in prior years all were blooming away. Could feeding them have led to more foliage and less bloom? Do they have a “rest year”?

Gail and I think that yes, like other plants they do sometimes take a rest. And the weather over the course of the year probably has a significant impact. For instance, last year we had 15″ of rain at the end of March and then heat and all of our daffodils bloomed, early and late varieties, all at once – about 2 weeks early. But after that rain we had next to nothing for the rest of the summer and if any of our clumps look thin on blooms this year I’d be inclined to blame drought stress. It has also been a dry (until today) and chilly spring so far and for that reason I expect the late daffs to be late (by which I mean, on time) and some of them might not even be showing buds yet.

Sometimes daffodils stop blooming when the clump becomes too tightly root-bound and hemmed in by tree roots or rocks. I’ve also heard that they might peter out if more than one variety is planted in the same clump (the way many catalogs sell them, alas) probably because some out compete others. As far as feeding them, any high nitrogen fertilizer would encourage more leafy growth than flower production. And the amount of shade is another very important factor. Granted, the ones that are blooming for us now are the earliest varieties (mostly ‘Ice Follies’) but the clumps blooming their little hearts out totally gangbusters are the ones in more sun.

It’s also very necessary to leave their foliage intact to the bitter end. Despite falling over and looking terrible, it keeps photosynthesizing to feed next year’s blooms. It may be safely removed after it has turned yellow – or at least give it 6-8 weeks before giving it the chop.

Are any of your daffodils “resting” this year? Why do you think? And when will you come take a walk through ours?

We open officially for the season starting tomorrow (!) and the daffodils are just beginning to open up.

You know what they say about early birds … and, says me, there’s definitely something to be said for catching this season right as it begins to burst. (And you know if there’s something to be said about anything, I’ll say it.) One of my friends and colleagues here told me that her favorite moment in the life of a daffodil is the very one I sort of failed to register before – right when their heads are bowed and they’re beginning to open. (What’s your favorite moment?) I also have to say that before the daffodils really get going and commandeer all of our attention, it’s actually still possible to notice fat buds, garnet flowers on the maples, and carpets of indigo blue.

Hover over for captions and click on for a larger look-see.

Temperatures are forecast to be warm and lovely tomorrow and into next week (though a little rain may fall too… ) The daffodils only need some heat to get going and then we may collectively wish for cool nights to keep them hanging on for a good long time.

For more information about how far along our daffodils are, stay tuned for regular “daff cam” shots here, or call our hotline at 401-253-2707, ext. 35.

Even though the gardens and grounds are open year-round, we try to look our very-extra-best for the official opening of the mansion and the true start to our summer (please let us have spring first!) season. The volunteers have gotten into (almost) every garden to clean winter out; Gail and I are planting spring container displays and double-checking that the greenhouse residents are well labeled and lovely; and Fred and Dan are making sure there’s not a leaf or greening-up blade of grass out of place on the whole property.

We’re just about ready for Daffodil Days (beginning Saturday, April 9) and the daffodils are too. The ‘Ice Follies’ at the edge of the Bosquet are just beginning to open and everybody else is budded if not yet bent at the neck. — I have to admit that I never before noticed that daffodils bow right before they open…

I also never noticed these miniatures before and if you can spot them on the property, I’ll give you a prize. I’m trying to bone up once again on all the different daffodil divisions (the American Daffodil Society says there are 13 divisions and I’m inclined to believe the enthusiasts over any other sources) and have learned that there are miniatures in every division. My best guess puts ours in lucky 13, which includes species, wild variants and wild hybrids, and if you know the cutie’s name I’ll give you a prize.

… and you never know what you might find. If I had to give a reason for why I garden it would have to be because of the new growth on plants. I’m much more fascinated by a baby leaf than almost any bloom. So, this morning to start my week off right, rather than scout for flowers – which I feel like I’ve been doing a lot of lately just to keep up – I focused on the emerging leaves instead. And because there’s poetry in nature, it was a flower that made my day.

I have never seen the dove tree (Davidia involucrata) flower in its infancy before – probably because the tree only goes on my radar when the ghostly pale flower bracts drape the tree in an un-miss-able display around the middle to late May (earlier this year if I had to guess). Now that I know that the bracts around the flowers emerge green and wrinkled with the leaves, I will pay close attention early again next year.

For those of you who are still on the lookout for daffodils, they may be going by but are still putting on a gorgeous show. And besides all of the flowers on the property there’s so much more to see – especially if you turn over some new leaves.

The Mayflower (Korean spicebush/Viburnum carlesii) is in bloom along with the tulips – which makes me think it must be May … but there’s snow in the forecast (a very slight chance) for Sunday … That can only signify that we’re still solidly in April. Whatever month it is, it’s a beauty.

It’s not often that we get to see everything blooming at once. And now that the temperatures have lowered, we should get a sustained show. Even the daffodils are still stupendous – aside from the ‘Ice Follies’ which, like me, are starting to show their age.

Here is a little preview of flowers in honor of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. I have to say that if I hadn’t visited Mr. McGregor’s Daughter‘s bloom day post, I never would have known to look for the bloom on the ginger (Asarum canadensis) in the Rock Garden. Is there anything here – or in another blogger’s bloom day post – that you would have otherwise missed seeing in your garden?

According to my calendar we’re running a little ahead of schedule in the gardens. We’ve divided and moved a few perennials; we’ve cut almost everything back that needed to be (except a climbing rose or two); and we’ve even hooped the biggest peonies, which have already set ant-covered buds. (If you see ants on your peonies, don’t worry. The ants don’t do any damage to the buds and may even help protect the plants from other critters. Contrary to popular belief though, peonies do not need the ants’ help to open the buds.)

Just because we’re ahead of schedule doesn’t mean that we’re catching up with what needs to be done – I figure we’ll be about caught up by this time next year. And just because some signs have been pointing to May lately, that doesn’t mean that any of us should put our tender houseplants outside or plant tomatoes just yet. But next week, after checking the long term forecast, we might put the sweet peas out to harden off…

And just because there’s a little rain (and snow) in the weekend forecast doesn’t mean it’s a bad time to visit Blithewold. You can always escape the weather in the greenhouse…