Drainage - If you don't have free draining soil then your Spring bulbs will struggle through the wet and soggy Winters we have been experiencing. Pots help to avoid your bulbs sitting in waterlogged soil and increase your bloom rate come Spring.
Flexibility - You can chop and change your colour schemes and try new bulb varieties each year, if you don't like it, make way for something new. Then there is the logistical flexibility of being able to move the pots around your space.
Seasonal extension - We've all heard of the bulb lasagna, a perfect planting arrangement designed to draw out the Spring flowering length with crocuses or irises being the first to arrive, joined by the humble narcissus before the much beloved tulips enter stage right for the finale.
Something we've noticed at Tom's Yard over the past couple of years however is the increase in popularity for the non-obvious yellow traditional daffodil. As clever genetic engineering and breeding unveils new and exciting varieties, there are many more options now above and beyond the recognisable flower that covers roadside verges across the UK.
We've been on the hunt to bring you a few of our favourite daffodils and inspire you to grow more of this gorgeous Spring staple.
A colour other than yellow
Could white be the new yellow where daffodils are concerned? Yellow feels like the marmite colour in gardening doesn't it, and if you're on the hate it side you're probably not drawn to daffodils but there are some incredible varieties out there that are creamy and white and simply stunning. For example, Mount Hood is a crisp white daffodil that really helps brighten shady areas in your garden. A pot brimming with these and underplanted by a blue muscari or botanical tulip like bakerii lilac will really set the pot alive.
Add a ruffle over the trumpet
What can be achieved with genetics in horticulture is amazing and we're increasingly seeing traditional varieties evolve, adapt and surprise us and daffodils such as 'Fragrant Spring' and 'Queens Day' are perfect examples of this with their ruffled petals and frilly demur, not really looking like your stereotypical daffodil at all and bringing some glamour to your pots.
Narcissus 'Fragrant Spring' bulbs — Buy online at Farmer Gracy UK
Narcissus 'Queen's Day' bulbs — Buy online at Farmer Gracy UK
Shrinking down the size
Interiors saw an explosion of love for the narcisuss paperwhite over the past years with the adorable tete-tete already being a staple in container growing but like with all flowers there are some newer varieties that are beautiful like the Narcissus bulbocodium 'White Petticoat'. They grow to 15cm and look amazing undeplanting trees or on their own en-masse in pots.
Buy Narcissus bulbocodium 'White Petticoat' | Sarah Raven
October and November are the perfect time to plant your bulbs as the temperatures drop and the hard frosts have yet to arrive. Our terracotta pots will bring your Spring display to life and our new shipments have some true treasures for you.
Cretan Terracotta Pots | Clay Pots & Planters | Tom's Yard (tomsyard.co.uk)
