My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Narcissus

They all grow from bulbs and are mainly trumpet shaped with a second petal skirt around the base of the flower.

Tiny paper white flowers are my snowflakes in my Winters Green design

Common name

The white variety is referred to as paper white, the yellow is known as a daffodil.

Origin

South Western Europe

Varieties

There are 12 main shapes of Narcissus.

Colors

mainly yellow but also white, cream, pink, and orange

Vase life

Seven to twelve days with proper care. Narcissus gives off a latex juice that is poisonous to all other flowers. Avoid arranging them with other flowers and change the water regularly. If you really, really want to arrange daffodils with other flowers make sure you condition them separately, in special daffodil flower food before adding it to a mixed vase. Again change the water regularly.

Scent

Paper whites have a heavy scent (not recommended for small spaces or dinner table arrangement) but the strength of the scent varies

Uses

Country garden designs also nice as a hand tied. Break up the clusters of paper whites as “blossoms”

Conditioning

Because the growers pull the flowers from the bulbs when harvesting you will notice a white end on all the stems. This white area is very firm and prevent the stem from loosing moisture but also from taking up moisture. Cut the stem at an angle just above the white area. Place the stems in cold water to condition. To open the flowers quicker you can condition the flowers in warmer water. Add flower food formulated for bulb flowers to the water. Remember the daffodil latex sap mentioned above, so don't forget to condition the flowers separate to all other flowers and replace the water regularly. Only after really good conditioning can you add daffodils to other flowers in an arrangement.

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