TUSCUMBIA-Nothing signals the arrival of spring like the daffodils in blooms. The old standard daffodils or jonquils as many in the south call them outlive the home sites they used to surround. Many a country pasture is adorned briefly each spring by the memory of what once was. I’m old enough to remember a few of the old homes, but most of the sites, it is left to the imagination what the old home site may have looked like.
I do have several of Grandma’s type rescued from several old homes sites. I’ve been slowing moving 
them to make a field of daffs. A few more years and visitors should be coming from far and near to see them.
The newer varieties are nothing like Grandma’s in looks and colorization. I have over ninety Narcissus, which is the proper name if you are discussing daffodils. Narcissus is divided into thirteen groups called Divisions based on the petal (or perianth segments in scientific lingo) and trumpet or cup (corona in scientific lingo) size and shape. Actually there are fourteen divisions. For some reason Division 11 is divided into 11A and 11B. This classification is the brainchild of Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) of the United Kingdom.
You can’t plant daffodils now. This is one flower you absolutely have to plan ahead and plant the bulbs in the fall if you want spring blooms.
I’m not sure which division is my favorite as I have my own “divisions’ divided into large, small, double, white, yellow, multicolored, changing color and fan like which corresponds to both 11A and 11B.
My favorite doubles, (division 4 in the English classification), large peony types are Snowbird a white and Golden Ducat a yellow. Snowbird has taken over most of my driveway beds this year. I haven’t seen this one offered in a catalogue since I bought it after building my house years ago. Usually a returning cold spell freezes the buds on the Golden Ducat, but not this year. Several were able to show off this year, except for a few Hooligan casualties.
When I got home one day this week some of my Golden Ducat daffodil blooms were scatted about in the driveway. This is the first year in a long time that they were able to bloom without the buds freezing before opening. I asked the Hooligans who was responsible for littering. Patches sat there staring at me like a dis-interested teenager and then licked her mouth. I’m not sure if that was the answer to my question or her telling me it was past time to eat. My other guess would be Blackie chasing Levi.
I have several varieties that start out yellow then go to white or peach going to yellow. Fidelity and Chinese Coral have a yellow petal with a peach cup that goes to yellow. Surfside, Changing Colors and Mount Hood are large cupped daffodils that start out yellow and changes to white.
My favorite solid white is a dainty one called Thalia and another called Sugar Coated. Both have very long petals with a shorter cup.
If you want very large daffodil, consider Fortissimo, a huge pale yellow petal and a darker almost Auburn orange cup. Some of mine have been over four inches wide. I plan to move some to my Auburn section of my garden this fall.
A yellow, which just stands out from across the garden, is Scarlet O’Hara. It just yells at you to come and look at me. Another one is Decoy, a yellow petal with a red cup.
Multicolored ones, some of my favorites are Intrigue a bright yellow with white halo around base of the cup and petals, Riot with a funky red center, 
Mozart with a funky fuzzy looking center. Pink Charm a white with beautiful pink edging on the cup. Pinza with a bright orange-red cup with a rich golden yellow center.
Among my fan like ones are Precocious, Apricot Whirl
Ice King, Waltz and Flyer. Flyer is a bright yellow very frilly, almost foaming. Precocious, Waltz and Apricot Whirl both are a peachy center very frilly and just plain pretty. Waltz eventually turns white with age.
Among my cute small ones are Pipit and Topolino, both looking like they are standing in front of a fan. Both have long trumpets.
Like the British, I have my File 13, which doesn’t fit any of my other classification. Odorus flore pleno is my member of this group. It can be a single with a small cup or a double bright yellow. When the first one bloomed, I contacted Brent and Becky’s thinking they had sent me the wrong bulb. After looking at the pictures, they said that I had the correct bulb. Later ones looked like those on line.
For those of you who just need to know the proper divisions of daffodils, here you go:
Division 1 – Trumpet (Long Cupped) Daffodils
One flower to a stem, corona (cup) as long or longer than the perianth segments (petals).
Division 2 – Large-Cupped Daffodils
One flower to a stem, corona (cup) more than one-third but less than equal to the length of the perianth segments (petals).
Division 3 – Small-Cupped Daffodils
One flower to a stem, corona (cup) not more than one-third the length of the perianth segments (petals).
Division 4 – Double Daffodils
Daffodils have a clustered cup, petals or both. There can be one or more flower per stem.
Division 5 – Triandrus Daffodils
Usually more than one flower to a stem, head drooping, perianth segments often reflexed and of silky texture.
Division 6 – Cyclamineus Daffodils
One flower to a stem, perianth segments significantly reflexed, corona usually straight and narrow.
Division 7 – Jonquilla Daffodils
Usually several flower heads to a stem, flowers usually fragrant, stem is round in cross-section and foliage is often rush like.
Division 8 – Tazetta Daffodils
Usually three to twenty flowers to a stout stem, sweetly scented and very short cupped. Perianth segments rounded and often somewhat crinkled.
Division 9 – Poeticus Daffodils
Usually one flower to a stem; perianth segments pure white; corona very short or disc shaped, usually with a green and/or yellow center and a red rim, but sometimes of a single color; flowers usually fragrant.
Division 10 – Bulbocodium Hybrids Daffodils
Usually one flower to a stem; perianth segments insignificant compared with the dominant corona. Small flowers resemble a ‘hoop petticoat’ form.
Division 11 – Split-Cupped
Corona split — usually for more than half its length.
11a – Split-Cupped Collar Daffodils
Split-corona daffodils with the corona segments opposite the perianth segments; the corona segments usually in two whorls of three.
11b – Split-Cupped Papillon Daffodils
Split-corona daffodils with the corona segments alternate to the perianth segments; the corona segments usually in a single whorl of six.
Division 12 – Miscellaneous Daffodils
Daffodils which do not fit the definition of any other division.
Division 13 – Species, Wild Variants Daffodils
Daffodils distinguished solely by botanical name. All species and reputedly wild forms.
