Trumpets call

Charles Quest-Ritson

HOOP-PETTICOAT daffo-dils is what the RHS calls them, but no one remembers the 1860s fashion for those uncomfortable waist-worn cages that concealed the ankles of Victorian ladies from upskirting gentlemen. Yet I am told such things may still form part of modern wedding dresses and are known by seamstresses as ‘bridal accessories’. No other daffodil has the same shape. The trumpet part is an absurdly wide funnel, whereas the perianth segments (the five ‘petals’ behind) are very narrow—so narrow indeed that you may wonder what their function could be. The dark-green leaves are also so exiguous that you may not even notice them. The net result is that the cheerful, open flowers are what you see, usually bobbing in the breeze. Narcissus bulbocodium is a popular garden plant. Every garden centre sells…

You're reading a preview of

Country Life (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 12, 2025

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.