Narcissus in the Northwest Perennial Alliance Borders usually bloom early March through about mid-April depending on the weather.

We will begin our tour at the north end of the Borders on the wide gravel path.  On your right is the New or Shrub Border our last phase to be planted in 1996.  There is a backdrop of an extensive collection of Viburnum, Philadelphus, Syringa (Lilac) and Ilex verticillata.

The first Narcissus is N. ‘Spellbinder’ an almost chartreuse Daffodil in two large clumps amongst dark flowered forms of Helleborus orientalis and Hyacinth ‘Violet Pearl’.  Near the first bench are a few N. ‘Rip Van Winkle’ a great naturalizer that increases well – but watch for slugs.  Continue down the gravel path and between the two benches on your right will be N. ‘Topolino’ a short bicolor and ‘Cheerfulness’, a small multi-flowered double behind the first orange twigged Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’.  Next is N. ‘February Gold’ amongst Pulmonaria ‘Benediction’ named by and for two of our local gardeners of note.  Also in this area are Helleborus foetidus ‘Wester Flisk’ with chartreuse flowers and red stems and blue Muscari armeniacum, the common Grape Hyacinth.

From here turn around and face the Main Border and you will find a few N. ‘February Gold’ amongst shrubs of Barberry and with Pulmonaria ‘Roy Davidson’, also named for a local gardener.  We will now walk back up the gravel path with the Main Border on our right.  The area here is called the Yellow, Black and Blue section and is one of the few color areas that also works in early Spring.  Scilla siberica replanted in the Fall of 1998 is blooming an intense blue amongst Ranunculus ficaria ‘Brazen Hussy’ and its golden flowers on deep chocolate foliage.  The black foliage of Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ is very prominent here.  Up the slope you will see a few N. ‘Carlton’ and shades of blue Pulmonaria angustifolia above.

The next Narcissus blooms later and won’t be open until the last week of March.  It is a nice yellow multi-flowered N. ‘Trevithnian’.  This one is sweetly fragrant, but please don’t step in the Border to try it out.  N. ‘Trevitnian’ is planted in a very large area and we have planted more each year we can get them.  Beyond the evergreen Bamboo – Shibatea kumasasa – is the Lower Bog planted with more N. ‘Trevitnian’ and huge clumps of N. ‘February Gold’ well established and more were planted in 1998.  Further up the path in an area below many dark and claret colored Helleborus orientalis is N. ‘Salome’ which will naturalize in fairly wet areas.  At the extreme north point of the Main Border is N. ‘Rip Van Winkle’ again with Ranunculus ficaria ‘Randall’s White’.

From here we will follow the hazelnut path to the entrance to the Double Border with N. canaliculatus and a few more N. ‘February Gold’.  As you enter the Double Border on your left is the deep maroon foliage of Euphorbia dulcis ‘Chameleon’ and Pulmonaria ‘Lewis Palmer’ (‘Highdown’).  There are alliums planted in this area and under the shrubs are Checker Lilies – Fritillaria meleagris.