We may receive an affiliate commission from anything you buy from this article.The weather is finally getting warmer, the ground is about to thaw, and Martha Stewart is here to get you ready with her biggest gardening book in more than 30 years."Martha Stewart's Gardening Handbook: The Essential Guide to Designing, Planting, and Growing" (Harvest) offers her expertise to green thumbs of all levels.
This guide to trees, shrubs, specialty gardens and vegetables is packed with advice on plant care, year-round maintenance and planning, and is filled with color photos to inspire you.Read an excerpt below. "Martha Stewart's Gardening Handbook" $28 at Amazon DaffodilsSprouting in beautiful shades of yellow, orange, peach, white, cream, and even pink, daffodils—known by their botanical name Narcissus—are an early sign that spring has sprung.Some tried-and-true cultivars are the 'Golden Ducat', 'Rip Van Winkle', and 'Petit Four'—all examples of the double daffodil, featuring one or more flowers to a stem.
Another common variety is the trumpet daffodil, which has a center that is as long or longer than its petals.Large-cupped daffodils are defined by their prominent cups, while small-cup iterations have short cups that are less than one-third the length of the petals.
Don't worry about recognizing all the different varieties; just choose what you like from your local garden center or online resource.Because no matter the type, daffodils (and other small bulbs) are so rewarding.
The blooms last for two or three weeks in the garden and bring such color to your landscape.They are also low maintenance.
Here are some tips to help you make the most of these perennial crowd-pleasers.Daffodils are winter-hardy in zones 3 through 8 and will return to bloom again year after year so long as they are planted in full or partial sun and in any soil that's not soggy.If your goal is to have drifts of daffodils, include varieties...