Growing up we’re told that flowers, or any plant for that matter, need just three things: sun, water and love. And while that’s basically true, there are a few very important components that until recently were often left out of the discussion. I think the most important thing I’ve learned while growing flowers is that the most important need of a plant is healthy soil. Healthy soil is full of microbes and those microbes are constantly working to improve or maintain a proper structure, they’re helping to reduce stress and risk of disease, and they’re eating the sequestered carbon

How to Grow Flowers

  • Daffodils! They’re not all the typical yellow and white varieties you see on the side of the street. There are some amazing varieties. Also known as Narcissus, they’re beautiful in the vase, but the sticky sap they generate warrants some extra attention. If arranging a vase of only narcissus varieties, as shown in the picture at the left, there won’t be any issues. However, if mixing narcissus stems with other flowers, the sap from the narcissus could negatively affect the other blooms causing them to have a shorter vase life. Searing the bottom 1” of the narcissus stem in boiling water will prevent the sap from leaking. Just know that when you cut the stem again, during arranging or when freshening the bunch, you’ll have to re-sear the narcissus stems.

    Daffodils, like many flowers don’t need much water to thrive in the vase. An inch of water is plenty - just make sure to top it off as they drink. Like all flowers, make sure the water is clear of leaves and keep the water sparkling clean. If the water gets murky, just throw it out, rinse your vase and cut a little (or a lot - your preference) off the stems. A fresh cut allows the daffodil to soak up more of that clean water.

  • Daffodil bulbs are planted outdoors in late fall or early winter. Certain varieties of narcissus (often known as paper whites) can be grown indoors in moist soil or in a “bulb” or “forcing”vase that allows the roots to soak while the bulbs stay dry. All narcissus bulbs should become available at local nurseries in early to mid fall.

    Narcissus are great because they easily naturalize, meaning they duplicate every year. After a few years they can be dug up, split and replanted.

    Soil: Well draining soil is necessary because narcissus will be in the ground all winter and need to be planted in soil that will drain.

    Light: Most narcissus can grow in full sun to part shade.

    Water: If growing outdoors, watering narcissus is often unnecessary, unless there is a winter drought. Remember that snow counts as water too!

    Fertilizer: Narcissus contain all the nutrients they need in the bulb. Adding a small amount of “bulb fertilizer”, which is a littler higher in phosphate (e.g. 3-5-3), could increase performance, but many growers skip this step, especially if planting high quality bulbs.

  • Zones 3 to 7 are ideal for growing daffodils outdoors. To grow naturally, daffodils need cold stratification, meaning they need a period of cold temperatures before they can produce a bloom. To learn more about growing zones, check out the USDA zone map for zones within the US. For details in other countries, checkout the Hardiness Zone Wikipedia post where a lot of sources are listed for other countries and regions.

  • The bloom time of a daffodil varies on the growing conditions, but traditionally daffodils bloom in the spring months of March to May. Different varieties bloom earlier or later depending on several factors, including the number of weeks they need cold stratification. Certain varieties of daffodils can be grown indoors at any time of year.

  • Below is a list of resources where you can learn more about daffodils.