Good things come in small packages and that applies to Daffodils for house and rockery.

Miniature daffodils grow from 4 inches to just short of a foot. Varieties Minnow, Toto and Canaliculatus have several flowers on the one stem and are particular favourites of mine. Try growing some in pots in the cold greenhouse as welcome additions to your alpine plants.

Tips on Minature Daffoldils

• Look in spring for successful varieties that you may want to buy for planting this Autumn.
• Buy pots in bloom this spring so you know what you are getting. Deadhead before the seedheads start to develop and feed the bulbs with a high phosphate feed.
• One of the smaller varieties is Bulbocodium Conspicuous, yellow hooped petticoat at 4 inches tall with golden yellow flowers.
• The scented Jonquilla has a couple of varieties that are low growing including Jonquil Single, Sugarbush and the ivory white flowered apricot cup of Waterperry.
• Cyclamineus varieties tend to be low growing. One of the most popular is the Tete-a-Tete with fluted golden trumpets which bulks up quite well year on year. I have just bought some Jetfire with a red perianth.
• For something different try the double Rip Van Winkle or the pinky yellow Nanus.

Top Ten Selection

1. Little Beauty 5″ with white perianth and yellow corona
2. Rip Van Winkle
3. Sun Disc a consistent bulb with round disc shaped yellow flower.
4. Hawera with reflex bachward pointing petals
5. Petrel has several ivory-white hanging flowers per stem.
6. Segovia -with a white perianth contrasted by a neat lemon cup
7. Snipe A classic 5″ tall white cyclamineus type with a green tinge.
8. Baby Moon late flowering and scented jonquilla type.
9. Baby Doll with pink cups and a nice scent.
10. La Belle with yellow flowers and shallow coronas in orange-yellow with a distinct reddish-orange rim

Read about Daffodil divisions that also apply to miniature daffodils
Daffodils can be ordered now for Autumn delivery from Thompson & Morgan

The number and variety of smaller daffodils in gardens and pots seems to grow every year. You can find them in catalogues under miniature, Jonquil or Cyclamineus Narcissus or Daffodil.

Small is beautiful and I have resolved to grow more of the great little bulbs next year. I tried with some cheap bulbs this year but that has been a big mistake and many have been blind (ie no flowers at all). I am tempted to ditch them but no doubt I will try feed them up with both a liquid feed and some better soil.

Flowering at Mothering Sunday time small daffodils are an unexpected and generally welcome present in a pot that can then be planted out to flower in future years.

Read about our top ten list of other miniature daffodil varieties along with many growing tips.