The daffodil display at Paxton House is famous.  The house sits in parkland planted thickly with naturalised daffodil bulbs and in April they are blooming marvellous.  There is now a bright swathe of yellow across the whole of the entrance front which really sets off the grandeur of the pillared portico designed for Patrick Home of Billie by the Adam brothers, John and James, in 1758. At least a dozen varieties of daffodil and narcissus are grown at Paxton and most of them are looking their best right now.  They vary from big showy bright yellow daffodils to delicate pheasant eye narcissus with its white petals and red edged orange centre. In the range, the pheasant eye narcissus is the nearest variety to the original Mediterranean daffodil, immortalised in the Greek myth of self-obsessed youth, Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection. It’s Latin name is Narcissus poeticus, so it is also known as the Poet’s Narcissus. Perhaps it will inspire you with a verse or two or perhaps you prefer the out and out vulgarity of our grand large sulphur-yellow daffodils. TV naturalist Chris Packham recently called the brightest daffodils ‘naffodils’ but we love their cheery colour and bold shapes. The native wild daffodil of Britain is smaller and paler, closer to several of the cultivated varieties we grow..

Whichever is your favourite, join us to celebrate the way daffodils at Paxton herald the arrival of Spring.