Yesterday was all about simple little yellow daffodils. Today we get a bit more up-to-date and diverse.

First we have ‘British Gamble’, a 1 W-YPP, registered in 2017, though the hybridiser is not known. It seems to be Dutch in origin so why the odd name? I can’t fathom that one.

My goodness, I love this daffodil. I have had it a few years and the flowers are absolutely huge – 150mm across and the flaring trumpet is delicately suffused with pink, getting deeper at the edge. The colour intensifies as the flowers mature but this is not one of those that opens yellow, as many pinks do. As is this were not enough, the flowers are sweetly fragrant. If we are getting picky, the petals are very creased and the substance is a bit thin but I really don’t care – I just adore it and it seems to be a good doer.

Geoff’s rating

10/10

Garden rating

9/10

We now turn to a new-to-me daffodil called ‘Chanson’ (1 W-P). This is one of my mad moment purchases – from a show daff specialist – so cost quite a lot, for one bulb. It was bred by Brian Duncan and registered in 1997 and got an AGM in 2007. Although there are  nicks out of the inner petals, on this bloom, this has a much better form than the above although the trumpet fades at the rim. It is fragrant too. Do I like it better than the more blowsy ‘British Gamble’? No.

Another that I have had for many years and has proved to be a great grower also has a strange name – ‘Sunny Girlfriend’ (11a W-YPP). It was bred by J. Gerritsen and Son, of the Netherlands, famous for their split corona daffs. Not all ‘splits’ appeal to me, especially if their sexual organs protrude rudely, but they are improving and a lot are beautiful as well as being novel. This one is a sweetie, with shrimp pink and white flowers, the split corona forming two layers so the frilling does not crowd the centre. The flowers face slightly upwards, which is good, and are 90mm across and it is scented.

Geoff’s rating

9/10

Garden rating

9/10

‘Pride of Lions’ (2 Y-O – large cupped) (right and below) Is an impressive plant. The flowers are large (105mm) and bright lemon yellow with a broad, spreading cup of vibrant tangerine. And it smells lovely. I was happy enough about the name, but it actually has nothing to do with lions – well not the scary bitey ones anyway. The Lions club in Lisse asked for a daffodil to bear the name of the International Lions Club. The Chairman of the Dutch Lions Club saw this daffodil and thought it perfect for the Pride of Lions. It was bred by Karel van der Week and registered in 2019.

To the left is ‘Ferris Wheel’ (2 Y-O – large cupped, yellow-orange) (yes really – though it is more like 2 Y-Y to me *). It has very broad petals and the corona should lie much flatter – perhaps the flower is still too young. It was raised by H.G. Huijg and Sons and registered in 2011. The flowers are 120mm across, fragrant and have great substance. As long as it proves a good grower it is another I am pleased to have. * I was too quick to say that this was yellow rather than orange. The corona colour develops as the flower ages and is now very distinctly tangerine. It may not be a demure flower but as a garden plant it is wonderful – another keeper.

I won’t rate the new daffs until I can see how well they grow after the first year.

narcissus british gamble, narcissus chanson, narcissus Ferris Wheel, narcissus pride of lions, narcissus sunny girlfriend