@CarolineScott, Caroline, sorry to hear that daffs don't always do well for you in your zone.I guess if they are 3 metres under snow at the wrong time, they would struggle.Is that the case?If so, the later emerging ones would be the way to go.I had snow on my daffs when I had the cherry orchard in Tasmania, but it wasn't a great deal, only about 30cms.Division 9, the poets are all mostly late emergers.All my daffs are bred from Irish (the best), English, Kiwi and Tasmanian cultivars.The American ones are more colourful, but not smooth enough for me.
My average winter temp is about 7 c (guess) and the lowest might be 3c (guess) and we have no frost here.I don't chill any daffodil bulbs, but do have a commercial size fridge for some liliums and used to use the fridge for blooms for showing, but that was a long way back.Daffs that do well overseas doesn't mean they will necessarily do well elsewhere.Daffs that don't get a good dry spell in summer, may rot.If you cut off the leaves after flowering without letting them die back naturally, they probably won't flower the following year.Just a few thoughts--I've never grown in a freezing temp zone.
Thanks for that vote of confidence Neal.In the Spring, I still love just a plain ole yellow daff, well, maybe not too plain.
