The Real Dirt: Go daffy over daffodils
September 30, 2010
Sonia Day
THE REAL DIRT
Everywhere I go, people ask me the same question: what can I do to stop squirrels digging up/nibbling on my tulips?
And the short, sharp answer is: nothing. Oh sure, you can try messing around with human hair clippings, blood meal, garlic, wire cages, barbecue skewers, coffee tins which have holes punched in the bottom and so on. The list of desperate measures dreamed up by gardeners never stops.
But the fact is, folks, if you live in an area that’s beset by bushy-tails, the only real option is to accept your fate. Give up. Move on. Plant daffodils instead.
For some reason — though I’m not sure why — daffodils tend to be regarded as second class citizens in the spring bulb department. What everyone lusts after are tulips, tulips, tulips. Yet a host of golden daffodils is a delectable sight after the winter too (as Wordsworth famously noted) and they are less prone to disease and mystifying bug attacks than their more celebrated rivals. Daffodils also multiply easily and will keep sending up plentiful flower stalks year after year, with no help at all from us.
Yet their best asset is surely a no brainer. Narcissi (the collective name for all daffodils) are poisonous to squirrels. Period. And the cunning little varmints seem to know it because they always steer clear. I have, in fact, become such a fan of this wonderful feature of daffodils that they are gradually taking over from tulips in my garden. After all, life is complicated enough. Who needs annual fist fights with rats in fur coats?
Bulb guru Dugald Cameron of Gardenimport agrees that Wordsworth’s springtime joy is underrated.
“When you mention ‘daffodils,’ gardeners only think of the large, golden-yellow flowered Narcissus, but there are so many other kinds,” he says. “Little ones that look great up close are well suited to smaller gardens or along pathways into a house. Bigger ones are great both from a distance and close up.
“And,” he adds, “there are many colours now — although no true pinks yet.”
So toss the tulips — or at least phase them out, if squirrels are driving you nuts. Go daffy over daffodils instead. And plant them soon.
Plant picks
Copper Queen Narcissus
Daffodils don’t have to be those boring yellow trumpets. Here’s a tall new one with coppery petals and orange centres. And it’s from the rugged coast of Ireland, so sturdy and tough. No flopping stems when Mother Nature blows hard in spring.
Pheasant’s Eye Narcissus poeticus recurvus
Still my absolute fave in the daffodil department. Similar in shape to Copper Queen, but pure, pristine-white petals instead. Also fascinating centres that apparently resemble the game bird’s eye. The best part? It blooms very late, lasts for ages and has a lovely smell. Step out into the garden on a spring night and sniff deeply. Mmm. . . .
Both by mail order from Garden import in Richmond Hill. 1-800-339-8314. gardenimport.com Some garden centres also sell Pheasant’s Eye.
Squirrel sense
Yes, we all hate the blasted bushytails, but give ‘em a break. If you insist on planting tulips, don’t coat bulbs in cayenne pepper. Spreading mothballs around isn’t nice either. Pepper may blind the little critters and make them jump around your garden in pain. And mothballs are poisonous to many animals, including Fido and Fluffy.
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