From: Mary Sue Ittner asked:
<What about all you Narcissus fans?>
I had hoped that Bill Lee or Kathy Anderson might answer Mary Sue's
question.
At this point I must introduce myself, Linda Wallpe, daffodil fancier,
member of the ADS and grower of close to a thousand daffodil varieties.
I like yellow and orange!
As difficult as it is to pick favorites,
1. 'Cornet' - a division 6 cyclamineus hybrid, one of the earliest
standards to bloom here,
bred by Alec Grey and registered in 1953. The flower
head is larger than most cyclamineus hybrids,
more lemon than gold, and stands up to our variable spring weather.
2. 'Goldfinger' - Smooth and nicely formed, bred by Brian Duncan
and registered in 1983. This cultivar regularly throws
blooms with only 4 or 5 petals instead of the normal 6 - when it produces
only 4 petals, it's square in appearanceand that's the
reason I like it. It occasioned a practical joke. At
one spring show, a now deceased ADS member and judge, Harold McConnell
exhibited such a bloom, labeling it 'Square Deal'. I was
one of three judges on the panel judging that section. We
laughed and opened the card which read 'Judges aren't supposed to open
these cards!
April Fool's!"
3.4.5. I'm wild for any of the reverse bi-colors, that is yellow
petals with a white cup. I think John Pearson of
England breeds the most reliable and there are any number of his babies
that one can choose: 'Carib Gypsy', 'Goff's Caye',
'Altun Ha', 'English Caye', 'Rendezvous Caye' to name a
few.
John has also produced some lovelies that are not true
reverses, having only a ring of white where the
petals meet the cup: 'Ambergris Caye', 'Whisky Galore', 'Clouded
Yellow', 'Fresh Lime', 'Hunting Caye'.
I believe I have them all and wouldn't want to be without
a one !
With the annual show results in The Daffodil Journal, a list is given of
those cultivars that are reported having been shown more than 6 times. I
thought you might be interested to know that half of the first ten
cultivars on the list for 2002 are yellow (sorry couldn't find the list
for 2003).
They are:
1. 'Rapture' 6 Y-Y, cyclamineus hybrid by Grant Mitsch,
Oregon, reg. 1976
4. 'Goldfinger' 1 Y-Y, (see above)
6. 'Gold Bond' 2 Y-Y. large cup bred by Brian Duncan, N.
Ireland, reg. 1983
7. 'Kokopelli' 7 Y-Y, jonquilla hybrid by Bob Spotts,
California, reg. 1993
8 'Pacific Rim' 2 Y-YYR, large cup with an orange red rim,
bred by Grant Mitsch, reg. 1994
I do grow lots of things besides daffodils! They are just my first love.
Linda Wallpe
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
USDA Zone 6a, clay soil, hot, humid summers, and cold, wet winters