Daffodils at Dyffryn

As a springtime herald and the national flower for Wales, daffodils are a favourite here at Dyffryn Gardens.

We have many varieties of daffodils planted across our gardens, from the tiny Narcissus bulbocodium on the Rockery, to great big show varieties in every shade of yellow, white, cream and those with flecks of orange. We are even discovering more varieties and other spring bulbs every year as we uncover them from the undergrowth, particularly in the arboretum.

Over the next few years we will continue to add and diversify our naturalised drifts of daffodils across the gardens. They will also play an important role in our bedding schemes in the future.

The Dyffryn Daffodil

We are lucky enough to have a breed of daffodil named after us, the Narcissus Dyffryn, which won international status as a new breed in 2014.

Cory cup winner of Falmouth, Ron Scamp, has developed the daffodil over the last few years and launched it at the RHS Cardiff show on 11 April 2014.

The daffodil is not currently growing on site, but this unusual type, classified as Division 11, is called a split corona or collared daffodil, and has the traditional yellow petals with a bright orange centre.

Head Gardener’s Top Tips

With the right selection of varieties, you can get daffodils flowering into May. Daffodils are best planted in October, especially when trying to naturalise them in grass. 

The quickest and easiest method is to scatter the bulbs over the area that you want to plant to create even drifts. Using a wooden or metal spike, poke it in the ground roughly twice the depth of the bulb and give it a good wiggle. Drop the bulb in to the hole you have made and firm the planting over with your boot.