[Hilary]

We were lucky to have sunny weather when we visited the Royal Botanic Gardens  in Madrid a few days ago. We came across these tiny narcissus after seeing all the garden had to offer, camellias in flower, tulips galore, a section with plants grown for commercial purposes [ I asked my husband to find cotton, tobacco and sugar beet ] which he did. There was a rock garden to explore and a fresh water pond with croaking frogs. By the time we had been through the old and new greenhouse and ready to leave we passed these narcissus. As you see some are labelled with the label well hidden behind the plant another I have managed to snap the plant but chopped the label in half and another photo looks as if I just took a photo of the labels

[Umbrian]

Lovely selection Hilary and what an interesting way to present the Narcissus - in pots sunk in gravel - could be a useful idea to copy in the garden generally for more treasured species as I for one am apt to forget exactly where bulbs are once the foliage dies down. Labels seem to get lost - blackbirds being notorious for digging deep to find worms and scattering them about. - food for thought regarding my recently acquired bulbs including the lovely Narcissus bulbocodium that you photographed. This autum I planted them in pots to appreciate them fully and see how they performed, perhaps now I shall just sink them into the ground.......

[Hilary]

These pots, sunk in gravel, seemed to be on some sort of table. The flowers were on eye level and out of reach

[Umbrian]

Thanks for that further interesting point Hilary - perfect for appreciating the different varieties at eye level. The first post brought to mind a visit made many years ago to a Gertrude Jekyll/Edward Lutyens garden when a friend and I much admired an architectural feature of clay pots sunk into a path or gravelled area - several pots of decreasing diameters were put one inside another and then sunk into the ground  so that just the rims were showing. Something I often thought of reproducing but never get round to doing.

[Fermi]

It's mid winter here and the hoop petticoat daffs are in flower!
1) 'Untschen', 10 WW
2) 'Quen Dor', 10YY
3) unlabelled white hoop petticoat
4) Possibly 'Fyno', 10WW
cheers
fermi

[Umbrian]

Beautiful Fermi - very hot here so lovely to be reminded of the joys of cooler days!

[Fermi]

Some more daffodils coming into flower now in a very cold and wet Central Victoria:
1) 'Nug Nutsch' another of Lawrence Trevanion's "Baby Talk" series;
2) 'Ben Bler' one of Rod Barwick's "Little Detectives" series;
3) 'Quen Dor' has a few more flowers open;
4) a seedling raised from Narcissus romieuxii 'Julia Jane'
5) a seedling raised from Rod Barwick's 'Spoirot'
cheers
fermi

[Umbrian]

Have to repeat.... so beautiful - thanks for sharing them ....

[Fermi]

Another new one from Graham Fleming in Canberra, KB-M-12Y-Y 1-0-3,
a cross between Narcissus cordubensis and Narcissus cyclamineus
cheers
fermi

[Umbrian]

Keep them coming Fermi, so refreshing to see as we swelter through our hot summer.

[Fermi]

A couple more from Lawrence Trevanion's stables:
1 & 2) 'Virivest' ('Westholme' x Narcissus viridiflorus) opens 7GG and fades to 7WG ;
3 & 4) 'Viristar' ('Hillstar' x 'Emerald Sea') 7WW
cheers
fermi

[Umbrian]

Virivest 'Westholme' +Narcissus  viridiflorus is stunning Fermi - lovely 'photo showing newly opened flower.

[Alisdair]

Yes indeed, amazing!

[Charithea]

Fermi many thanks for all those beauties you have been posting. They bring to mind Spring and cooler times to me.

[Fermi]

Thanks, everyone, for your kind words;
we are heading into "Peak Daff" so I hope I can keep up!
Here is another of Rod Barwick's hybrids: 'Snook' (N. nevadensis x N. cyclamineus)
cheers
fermi