Narcissus

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pamela

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Narcissus
« on: September 24, 2011, 06:00:02 PM »
Is anyone growing Narcissis poeticus in mediterranean regions? I am very keen to grow them but I think the N. tazetta is really the best one for our climate. I would love to know any experiences.
Jávea, Costa Blanca, Spain
Min temp 5c max temp 38c  Rainfall 550 mm 

"Who passes by sees the leaves;
 Who asks, sees the roots."
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Alisdair

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2011, 07:22:28 PM »
I'm sure you are right, about N. tazetta being better for your climate than N. poeticus. Poeticus does grow very widely right across the northern Mediterranean from Spain to Greece and beyond, right down to sea level. But it really likes damp, even boggy, ground.
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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JTh

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2011, 09:47:39 PM »
I remember that we saw masses of them in the Zagoria in 2008 in a mountain field , there was plenty of water there, it was almost like a swamp.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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Alisdair

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2011, 07:46:03 AM »
Thanks, Jorun - brings back happy memories of that fascinating trip to the Epirus in northern Greece! We ought to post more pictures of it, either in Species Seen or in the section on places to visit. :)
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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John

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2011, 08:32:49 AM »
This meadow was very rich and I liked the association of the Narcissus with the Veratrum leaves as in Jorun's second picture.
John
Horticulturist, photographer, author, garden designer and plant breeder; MGS member and RHS committee member. I garden at home in SW London and also at work in South London.

ezeiza

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2011, 02:19:40 PM »
This is useful information, I always thought poeticus was a true alpine. It not even sprouted on those several occasions we tried it.

Pamela, there are a good number of tazetta varieties nowadays, some clean and extremely vigorous. You can make them increase rapidly. And the old varieties are lovely.

Then you have N. jonquilla, broussonettii, serotinus, elegans, viridiflorus,aureus/canaliculatus, etc. Not to faint at but giving some variety to the picture. Jonquilla is stunning when well grown.

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Alisdair

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2011, 02:46:57 PM »
Narcissus tazetta always a lovely extra surprise when it comes up alongside a cyclamen - here, C. graecum, in the Greek Peloponnese.
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Narcissus serotinus, also scented, seems particularly cheerful and light-hearted, and again charming in the company of other wild bulbs. Here, also in the Peloponnese, it's with that often overlooked little scilla, perhaps in sheer population the most numerous of all Mediterranean wild bulbs, Prospero autumnale (syn. Scilla autumnalis):
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« Last Edit: September 25, 2011, 05:57:08 PM by Alisdair »
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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Alisdair

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2011, 03:11:08 PM »
Jonquils do very well in pots, too. This picture is of Narcissus wilkommii - a very close relative of N. jonquilla, if not part of the same species - grown from seed in Mediterranean conditions but under frost-free glass in the UK. In fact I left the seedlings in their original 5-inch pot until it became really crowded, then replanted them in this 3-litre long tom pot.
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

The Cypriot

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2011, 05:17:07 PM »
I know that Rafa is a narcissi specialist, he may be able to provide advice.


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oron peri

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #9 on: September 26, 2011, 08:04:54 AM »
Is anyone growing Narcissis poeticus in mediterranean regions? I am very keen to grow them but I think the N. tazetta is really the best one for our climate. I would love to know any experiences.

Pamela,
Just to add more to Ezeiza's suggestions,

There are many Narcissus you can grow under your conditions,

First of all there are many Narcissus species which are native to Spain and Portugal that are sutible.

I would reccomend for autumn bloom: N. elegans, N. obsoletus and N. serotinus, N. virdiflorus which is not very showy but most intresting, the only problem with these is the short period of blooming but they can all naturalize easily in the garden

For Winter, Narcissus tazetta and all its cultivars , some start early while a few cultivars can bloom in mid to late winter just a few to mention: 'Geranium', 'Chinese Sacred', ' Grand Solie  d'Or' , Avalanche', all heavenly scented!!!

N. papyraceus is a beauty but not every one likes the scent.

Some cultivars and hybrids which do not need  very cold winter and can grow in drier conditions, good for a much longer blooms and for making good clumps:

N. 'Hawra' - is Excelent!!
N. 'Tete - a - Tete'

Bigger Daffodils:
'Ice follies'
'King albert'
'Erlicheer' - double form

« Last Edit: September 26, 2011, 05:16:57 PM by oron peri »
Garden Designer, Bulb man, Botanical tours guide.
Living and gardening in Tivon, Lower Galilee region, North Israel.
Min temp 5c Max 42c, around 450mm rain.

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Alisdair

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #10 on: September 26, 2011, 09:35:59 AM »
As Oron says, Hawera is a lovely plant but many commercial stocks have virus. :'(
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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oron peri

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #11 on: September 26, 2011, 05:24:46 PM »
Virused stocks are a real problem today, mainly when bulbs grown on very large scale; Tulips, Narcissus , Crocus etc.
Therefor i always recommend to buy from the smaller, well known bulb specialists.
As they have a reputation to keep they will sell only clean material.
A few years ago i bought some bulbs from a grower in England which called me after he sent the parcel asking me to destroy it immediately upon arrival as he suspected one species was virused..
« Last Edit: September 26, 2011, 05:30:42 PM by oron peri »
Garden Designer, Bulb man, Botanical tours guide.
Living and gardening in Tivon, Lower Galilee region, North Israel.
Min temp 5c Max 42c, around 450mm rain.

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Alisdair

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #12 on: September 26, 2011, 05:32:10 PM »
Not as a rule possible with cultivars, but with bulb species of course the safest (and cheapest) thing is to raise your plants from seed. Almost all the lily species I've had I have raised from seed, as lilies are particularly prone to virus. Yes, it's true that a lot of bulb species can take some years to reach flowering size, but once you've started, if you sow seed of some species each year you'll very soon reach a point where, every year, all sorts of plants that you'd almost forgotten about are coming into flower for the first time - a very exciting and satisfying sort of production line!
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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oron peri

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #13 on: September 26, 2011, 05:47:26 PM »
Can not agree more!!!
Not only that and the huge sutisfaction  but as you always wait for something.. it prolongs your life...as one can not leave this life without seeing what he had just sown..
Some species need even 7 to 10 years befor they set the first flower.
Garden Designer, Bulb man, Botanical tours guide.
Living and gardening in Tivon, Lower Galilee region, North Israel.
Min temp 5c Max 42c, around 450mm rain.

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Alisdair

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Re: Narcissus
« Reply #14 on: September 26, 2011, 06:01:45 PM »
Yes (I've had 11 or 12 years even - but I suspect that's because I give the poor babies a rough life!). But some of course come to flower within a year or not much more, even a few off-topic lilies such as L. longiflorum or L. formosanum.
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society