If there’s one flower which shouts ‘Spring is here!’, then daffodils must be it, and with perfect timing Daffodils also did the same last week when it hit the bookshop shelves. I was lucky to receive a copy to review and tempt you… and temptation is easy when comes in huge dollops of gorgeousness as Daffodils does. This is thanks to Georgianna Lane’s exquisite and bountiful photography accompanied by Naomi Slade’s cheerful, evocative and informative writing.
Daffodils naomi slade: a concise orientation before we get practical.
Daffodils naomi slade: Quick notes
A book that’s both useful and looks ravishing is one of the hardest feats to pull off and here we have one that looks effortless in this achievement thanks to the hard work by author, photographer and publisher alike. It’s a book that deserves to be left out permanently, for both frequent referral for key information as well as reading purely to lift one’s mood.
The book has three main sections: the first gives us a short tour of the history and botany of daffodils – aka Narcissus to give them their Latin handle – which neatly shows us the classification groups of this amazingly diverse flower. The final section concerns general growing and care. The middle section rightly forms the bulk of the book with detailed descriptions and photos of 60 varieties from ‘Accent’ through to ‘Ziva’. Naomi has split this section further into Charming and Cheerful, Ruffled and Fluttering, Demure and Delicate, and Glorious and Glowing. These are the chapters to pore over to appreciate the diversity of blooms in both their form and colour – you don’t need to have just yellow ones – as well as deciding which ones to grow. They also show it’s possible to widen your daffodil season to encompass December through to June.
Needless to say I loved this perfect pick me up of a book. It will also go down well as a Mother’s Day or Easter gift for the keen gardener in your life – much longer lasting and just as gorgeous as a generous bunch of flowers!
Published by Pavilion/ Harper Collins; Hardback, 240 pages, RRP £25.
Daffodils naomi slade comes up here to connect ideas for clarity.
