Narcissus tazetta 'Geranium' is an absolute joy of a daffodil, her slightly recurved petals rounded and pure ivory, surrounding a neat little trumpet that protrudes like the cutest button. The effect is at once pretty, sophisticated and heartwarming. The flowers are abundant, too, nodding daintily but in generous clusters above sturdy stems that reach around 35cm. And if those weren't enough charms to be going on with, she's sweetly scented and long lasting, too. As well as being a good, reliable grower. No wonder she holds the coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit. All of this loveliness begins in March, heralding the start of a fabulous spring. For more early-season bulbs, take a look at our selection here.
Plant your bulbs in autumn, at around 10cm deep, the pointed end uppermost. They enjoy well-drained soil, so if you garden on clay, dig in plenty of well-rotted garden compost when planting, and they'll slowly multiply to form good-sized clumps. Pots, borders or lawn are equally suited to this daffodil, but wherever you plant, make sure you can get up close to enjoy the scent, or plant enough to bring in bountiful bouquets to fill your home with long-lasting colour and fragrance. Once the flowers have faded, deadhead, but leave the foliage to die back completely before removing.
Classic partners to spring daffodils are more spring daffodils! Vary the flower size and shape to create a rich tapestry of colour and form threaded through borders and around trees in a lawn. Rich orange Red Devon would work well as a contrast, perhaps combined with the butter-yellow double flowers of Yellow Cheerfulness. In pots by the front door (you'll get a lovely waft of scent in a sunny spot), try combining Geranium with cobalt blue grape hyacinths or pretty orange pansies, to pick up on the daffodil's richly coloured centres.
All daffodils are in the genus Narcissus, however, the bunch-flowered tazetta group is often referred to as Narcissi, to distinguish them from other daffodils, which have one flower per stem.
Tazetta daffodils are sometimes called paperwhites, polyanthus daffodils, or Chinese lilies.
Geranium is a 'Poetaz' narcissus, which is a hybrid between the polyanthus and poet's narcissus. These have flower clusters of four or more, and a sweet, short crown.