Monty Don gives tips on planting daffodils in grass
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Gardening expert and presenter Monty Don has revealed how to plant daffodils in the grass and make them “look natural”. Rather than having row upon row of daffodils in a flower bed, the gardening pro has shared how to plant them in grass for a more natural finish. Monty said in a video for Gardeners’ World.com: “We’ve all seen daffodils growing in grass, where you get these incredible blades of yellow and orange almost looking like a huge flower border for a few weeks in March and April.
“That’s lovely. However, you can grow daffodils so that they grow in the grass like wildflowers and there is one native or at least naturalised daffodil called narcissus pseudonarcissus that grows in this part of the world actually in the woods.
“You see these delicate flowers leaking out into the fields and they like damp, fairly woodland-y conditions, and an orchard is absolutely ideal.”
However, Monty said planting these flowers is not something that will brighten up your garden in the short-term.
He continued: “They are slow to develop. So this is something you do for the long-term, they’re not going to give you a big hit.
“But if I plant them now which is exactly the right time, there’s a chance that about half them will flower next year and then more will flower and then they will spread by seed.
“There is a technique to making them look natural.
“I’ve tried every way and I can guarantee that the only way to do it is just take a handful of bulbs and then cast them to the winds.”
Monty took a handful of bulbs from a bucket and threw them across his lawn.
He then said you need to plant them exactly where they land.
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“If they land in clumps and groups, it doesn’t matter because that’s how they grow in the wild.”
Monty then said fellow gardeners need to use the “right tool for the job”.
He explained: “With these tiny bulbs, if the ground is moist enough, a trowel will do the job.
“Remember, you want to plant them twice their own depth – that’s quite deep.”
The gardening pro said with bigger bulbs, it might be worth investing in some bigger equipment.
He recommended a stand-up bulb planter which allows you to press down on it and dig up a hole without having to bend down.
“It really, really saves a lot of time and effort so I highly recommend these,” he added.
Monty said with daffodils, you should start planting them now because the more time they have in the ground, the more likely they are to produce a flower.
He showed viewers how to plant the bulb by simply popping the bulb into the ground and putting the lump of grass back on top of it.
He continued: “it’s a good idea if you’re planting a lot of bulbs in grass to put a hose onto the area for an hour or two.
“You’ll find the whole process is a lot easier. And if after you plant them, you find it’s dry then water them well.
“They need moisture in order to produce their best flowers.”
Daffodils usually bloom from February until May and need to be planted in the autumn from September to November.
However, the sooner you plant them, the better.
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