BRITAIN’S GOT GARDENS
In spring, the heritage daf fodils at Cotehele bloom in lovely carpets of white and yellow
We associate daffodils with William Wordswor th’s beloved poem, which was inspired by the writing of his sister. One spring, Dorothy Wordswor th wrote, “I never saw daf fodils so beautiful… some rested their heads upon the stones as on a pillow for weariness and the rest tossed and reeled and danced and seemed as if they verily laughed with the wind that blew upon them.” Later, this diar y entr y would spur her brother to pen his immor tal words.
The flower that inspired them both is the wild daf fodil known as the Lent lily. Far removed from many of the modern hybrids, it has all the hallmarks of an old daf fodil: more refined, more graceful, paler in colour, and it moves! The joy of an old daf fodil is, as Dorothy described, its ability to ‘dance’, so that en masse it’s enchanting.
As well as the Lent lily, there are many heritage varieties that were grown in the last two centuries. For example, ‘Bath’s Flame’ (1913), ‘Lucifer’ (1890), and ‘Beersheba’ (1923), all of which display the charming characteristics of old daf fs. Whereas their contemporar y descendants can be big, sturdy, garish, and unscented, these delicate, fragrant flowers bloom in gentle shades of white, cream and primrose.
One of the best places to enjoy historic daf fodils is the National Trust garden at Cotehele in Cornwall. In spring, 250 varieties carpet the meadow and old orchard in sweeps of ivor y, lemonyellow, and white. ‘Firebrand’ (1897) and ‘Seagull’ (1893) look like giant white stars, and ‘Barrii Conspicuus’ (1867) has gorgeous primrose blooms. They are remnants of times gone by, when the surrounding Tamar Valley was one of the countr y’s main cut-flower growing regions. Cotehele rescued many local cultivars and planted them alongside other historic varieties.
The result is a splendid collection of heritage daf fodils: golden oldies that fill the air with scent and dance on the breeze.
● For details contact Cotehele, Cornwall PL12 6TA; nationaltrust.org.uk/ cotehele; 01579 351346