Nothing says ‘spring’ more than the cheerful, sunny daffodil. Tracy Reid reveals where to find the best of these – and other blooms – in March
It’s March, and spring has arrived.
If February is all about the delicate shades of snowdrops and hellebores, then March is all about the bright arrival of daffodils. Is there any more beautiful sight on a sunny spring morning?
In Derbyshire, we have some wonderful gardens opening up to share their displays of spring flowers and to raise funds for charities supported by the National Garden Scheme.
Celebrate the arrival of spring with a visit to Chevin Brae in Milford for its beautiful display of daffodils. It’s open on Saturday 21st March. As well as daffodils, you’ll find lots of spring flowering shrubs and cakes and biscuits for sale, many of them featuring fruits and jams from the garden.
On Sunday 29th March, 36 Edge Road in Matlock will be open. A beautiful one-acre garden with spectacular views of Riber Castle and the Derwent Valley, it is packed with spring delights.
Of course, the daffodil is also the symbol of Marie Curie – just one of the charities supported by the National Garden Scheme.
In 2025, £450,000 was granted to Marie Curie. To give an idea of the impact of this donation, it is equivalent to:
- 44 days of full hospice costs
- 17,521 hours of nurse hospice at home care
- 10 nurse hospice at home posts for a year
- 15,500 hours of bereavement support by phone or webchat.
To find out more about the charities supported by the scheme and
to discover more spring gardens to visit, head to: www.ngs.org.uk
Daffodil Fact File
Daffodils have been immortalised by William Wordworth’s ode to nature, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
- The word ‘daffodil’ is the official common name for any plant that falls under the genus Narcissus, including jonquils, paperwhites, and others. But most people use it to refer to the familiar trumpet-shaped spring blooms
- The Romans first brought the daffodil to Britain
- Gifting a bouquet of daffodils is believed to ensure happiness to the recipient … but legend has it that presenting a single daffodil means bad luck may be on the horizon
- Daffodils could flower for anywhere from six weeks to six months, depending on growing conditions
- The daffodil is the national flower of Wales
- There are at least 25 different daffodil species and up to 13,000 hybrids
- They’re the official 10th wedding anniversary flower
- Daffodils contain sap that’s often poisonous to other plants. If you want to mix them with other flowers in a vase, soak them in water for 24 hours first to remove the sap
- Squirrels won’t eat daffodils due to these poisonous crystals — be careful to keep away from dogs, too
- Daffodils are surprisingly tolerant of cold, and they’re an ideal flower for novice gardeners
- Look after them well – and they can flower for 50+ years!