Top 10 Daffodils 2023

Do you remember your time at school, when you were in the English class and had to recite William Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils’, written in 1804?

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. 

…and so, the poem went on for another three verses. 

I recall thinking as a 13-year-old, “Dear Lord, let this school day end”, having no comprehension how any human could be mesmerised by a daffodil. Fast forward to present day, and I now doff my metaphorical cap to W.W. and his poetry - which captured with eloquence the wonder of one of nature’s terrific creations. 

Daffodils have a long and illustrious history, and we know from the Greek philosopher Theophratus these bulbs were grown in ancient Greece as early as 300BC. The Monty Python Crew once asked in the film the ‘Life of Brian, “What have the Romans ever done for us?”, apart from roads, toilets, bathing, wine, sewage systems and aqueducts…they also brought with them, DAFFODILS; though not for beauty, but for their believed healing powers. These magical Roman ‘golden blooms’ have been with us in the UK ever since. 

Before continuing, let us solve the question most asked, ‘should you say narcissus or daffodil?’ You hear both in use and they seem interchangeable, so is there a difference? The answer is unequivocally, ‘use either name,’ because narcissus is the Latin name and daffodil the common name. I do like the American Daffodil Society’s rule which is – “if you are writing a scientific journal use narcissus, otherwise call them daffodils.” Well done to our American cousins; straight talking as always.

Another issue I pondered was, how does such a lovely harmless bulbous perennial become named after the most vain-glorious man in folklore? Of course, I am talking about Narcissus, the fellow who became mesmerised for several days by his own reflection, then fell exhausted into a stream and drowned. Some daffodils originally grew wild by the banks of streams and the ‘story’ was, Narcissus before he died, turned into a beautiful yellow flower, hence, they took his name. (I have often been accused of a similar trait as Mr Narcissus, though as yet have not been mistaken for a beautiful flower).

Daffodils are a symbol of rebirth. Pretty obvious, as the sight of a drift of their yellow blooms are a harbinger of Spring, of better times, of warmer days, of the passing of winter. This is a major part in their popularity, as the arrival of the sunrise-coloured flowers induces a wave of positive feelings, even more so with scented varieties. 

Talking of varieties, were you aware there are an incredible 13,000 different varieties of daffodil including hybrids? This is quite an astonishing number to choose from, begging the query, which should you choose for your garden? Let us shorten your potential choices to a more manageable number - our top 10 to grow.

For over 25 years, Hayloft have been sourcing plants and bulbs. During this time, we have found the top varieties from the finest growers; the following 10 varieties from these growers have been successfully tried, tested, and trusted by thousands of happy customers.

Think about how bad your garden was looking after last winter. Well fear not for next year, because here are our recommendations for you to consider, in order you too may have an excellent spring garden: