A Host of Daffodils

A Host of Daffodils. .

"…Ten thousand saw I at a glance/ , Tossing their heads in sprightly , dance." -William Wordsworth, from the poem Daffodils, 1804

, Visit the Brincka Cross gardens in springtime, and you'll see a spectacle of blossoms worthy of Wordsworth's famous praise. Some 10,000 daffodils brighten the woodlands before you. Over more than 25 years, William Brincka bought, traded, and purchased daffodil cultivars, assembling more than 450 named varieties., This daffodil woodland creates a transition area between the carefully cultivated gardens around the house and the wild woods that surround them. In his garden design, Brincka strived to create a harmonious environment. He said, "I see this place as a sanctuary, one small piece of the Earth that I manage, not control, but take care of.", The Lowdown on Daffodils , Is it a narcissus or a daffodil? Both! Narcissus is the Latin botanical name for the genus that includes all daffodil cultivars, so you're correct using either term. "Jonquil" is the common name for a particular daffodil species, Narcissus jonquilla. While daffodils commonly clone themselves through bulb division, they can also produce seeds through pollination. This creates new combinations of genes, producing new and different flower varieties. Daffodil bulbs and leaves contain chemicals that deter squirrels from eating them.