How, and why to plant annuals with daffodils

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Aside from just looking nice together, annual flowers perform a nice function when planted along with daffodils. And if you're a neat gardener, like I am, this is a good trick. And it all has to do with the importance of letting your daffodil foliage die back after the plant blooms, which puts energy back into the plant for the next season. And since I dislike how ugly the brown leaves look in my garden, I often cut them back too soon, which means no blooms for the next year. And I knew better!

Annual flowers to the rescue!

My daffodils are just barely starting to sprout, but it's enough for me to see where they are, so I can plant some nice little annuals around them. Since the daffodil flowers will be yellow I decided on white blooming petunias, and alyssum. The daffodils will grow tall, with the annuals around them, looking very nice, and then when it's time to let the daffodil leaves die back, you just fold them up, tie them together, and tuck them underneath the annuals. There they will die back naturally, giving life to next season's bulbs, and not look so messy. Yes, it's fine to tie them up like that - just don't cut the leaves off.


Of course, if you're more organized than I am, you can plant everything at the same time. But I'm still young, I can learn! Anyway, I have a narrow trowel/blade thingy that I use to dig a hole that is as precise as I can get. By the way, the fencing isn't necessarily unless you have a puppy, like I do, who would be tempted to dig. It's just temporary, sitting there, but it's enough to discourage her from sniffing around, and maybe digging up the young plants.

Another nice thing about annuals is that it gives you something to look at right away. It's mid-January, and here in the Phoenix, Arizona area it's cool but not cold, and we even got some rain this morning and there's more in the forecast.

I'm looking forward to the bouquet!

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