One positive sign of the current situation is that, having spent more time than usual in the garden, and people just walking the roads, I have met some of my neighbours. It was nice to chat to a nearby resident and her two children yesterday afternoon, but distressing to see the panic as they moved towards the gate I was behind. What a terrible time this is and how awkward.

Many people have it really tough and I am relatively lucky. I have been thinking, not only of the obvious heroes and sufferers but of garden centres. They are having to maintain their stock and will miss out on this, the busiest time of the calendar. And, in addition, all the nurseries that stock them. They must be having to dump massive quantities of plants that will not be saleable whenever this ends. And then the flower shows that have had to be cancelled. The designers who have spent a year or more preparing their show gardens and the nurseries growing the plants for them. And the nurseries that rely on plant shows and fairs for their business. Maybe it is worth thinking about buying some plants by mail order to support them.

Yesterday I had a reminder about all those gardens that are open and that planned special events for spring – all in vain. Some are streaming their gardens so they can be enjoyed and I suggest that you take a look at what the gardeners at Arundel Castle have done. For their tulip festival they have planted 80, 000 tulips, all, at present, behind closed doors.

Take a look with the links below:

Arundel Castle drone footage

Arundel Castle web page

Back to home. The drive is bordered with pink and white daffodils. Most were planted in the autumn of 2017 but I ran out so a few more were put in last autumn. Among the new ones is ‘Chromacolor’. This is an American daff, bred by William G. Pannill of Virginia, and introduced in 1976. It is a mid-height, though stout, plant with flowers 120mm wide (2 W-P) and a long cup. It has an AGM. The flowers are only just expanded and it is always foolhardy to assess the colour of pinks too early but I do think it is a bit of a stretch to call this pink. Salmon-pink is more accurate and smoked salmon, not cooked. But she sure is a beauty. Her colouring makes her stand out a bit from the others, many of which are quite pale and they include a number that are not yet out, such as ‘Bell Song’.

‘Chromacolor’ in the foreground and one side of the drive

Another new one is ‘Brooke Ager’, a Californian, bred by Sidney DuBose and named after the daughter of American Daffodil Society President Jaydee Ager.

It too is a 2 W-P but a very different flower, with more fragrance, much smaller in stature and flower size (74mm wide) and with a neat cup and rounded petals that reflex somewhat. It too has an AGM and was introduced in 1997. She is a very attractive flower and would be good in a small garden or border because of her stature.

‘Brooke Ager’ and the other side of the drive

The apple trees behind the grass are some way from blooming but there is no hurry. The idea was that the pink and white daffs would reflect the apple blossom – one day perhaps!

Arundel Castle, Narcissus brooke ager, narcissus chromacolor