The 2015 Bulb Lottery will be drawn during the Daffodil Show weekend April 18/19th.
Thanks to Len Olive for organising this event. We have a really superb list of bulbs to be won following generous donations from bulb growers and individuals. It is not too late to get your tickets. Contact Len Olive 01304 362222
The 2015 prize list can be seen here
The Northern Group of the Daffodil Society will hold their AGM on Sunday 8 March 2015 at Denton Community Centre. Unfortunately this years date is on the same date as the Daffodil Society AGM. Secretary Chris Bone apologised for the clash of dates and hopes that next years AGM hall bookings will be more favourable.
The day’s events are as follows:
10 am Staging of early show blooms
11.30 am Committee Meeting
12.30 pm Lunch
1.30 pm AGM (main item to be discussed – new display boards for out of season events).
3.00 pm Visit to the growing area of the local Denton Chrysanthemum Society (it is nearby)
3 – 4pm Tea and biscuits. Timing dependent on glasshouse visit.
5.00 Meeting ends.
Prize money for the Daffodil Championship at the show on 28th March has been doubled to £50, £30 & £20.
or call Jan Mitchell 023 9246 5147
The 2015 Journal has been printed and posted. If you have paid your 2015 Membership subscription and have not received your copy please contact the Membership Secretary Keith Boxall. email: 
This year’s Annual General Meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, Leamington Spa at 11am.
After the formal business is concluded the Society is delighted to welcome Brian Duncan as our afternoon guest speaker. Brian will give an illustrated talk on narcissus species drawing on his many European “daffodil hunting” trips. It will be a fascinating afternoon. All welcome.
Last month, UK national radio and TV broadcast news of a letter sent from Public Health England to supermarkets requesting that daffodils are not placed for sale in fruit and vegetable aisles in case they are mistaken for food. A number of people have been puzzled by this. Mistaking daffodil bulbs for onions in September seems a remote possibility but eating bunches of daffodils in Spring??
Daffodils contain toxic alkaloids that can cause severe vomiting.
In 2012, Bristol’s Chinese community was urged not to eat daffodils after 10 people had to be treated in hospital. It was thought they may have mistaken the green parts of the flower for a chive used in Chinese cooking.
In 2014 there were 27 cases of daffodil related poisoning in the UK. It clearly pays to know your onions……and your chives.
Spring show dates for 2015, that have been submitted and processed by the Membership Secretary, have been uploaded prior to the printed list appearing in the Society’s Spring Journal (due late February ). Find them listed in date order under the Shows tab.
Additional dates from affiliated Societies can still be submitted for the web site list and will be updated as they are received. Send to
Jan and Lynne Dalton have just been made aware of the death of Wilson Stewart earlier in 2014. The Society is saddened by his passing and thank Jan and Lynne for this tribute.
Following recent enquiries it is with great sadness that we have just learned about the
passing away of Wilson Stewart on 22nd March 2014. Wilson apparently suffered a heart
attack at his home and was taken to York hospital where he died later that day.
Long serving members of the Daffodil Society and its Northern Group (of which Wilson was a founder member in 1978), will recall the fantastic daffodils that Wilson grew and staged at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show in the 1970/1980’s and later at the Solihull and London shows.
His interest and knowledge of daffodils was gained at an early age in his native Ireland
when he was privileged to visit and work briefly with the Richardsons and Billy Toal at
Prospect House, Waterford, which was close by to his parents home. Later, Wilson ran a
florists shop in London and then went on to teach floristry and floral art to debutantes
at Eggleston Hall, Co. Durham (venue of the TV documentary series ‘Ladettes to Ladies’) and where he re-kindled his love of daffodil cultivation, when the facilities and garden
space at the Hall presented an opportunity too good to miss.
From here, Wilson went on to win many of the top prizes at the National Shows in London, Birmingham and Harrogate the latter being a particular favourite show where he had several Grand Champion Blooms with Empress of Ireland, Rashee and Snowshill. His all-white flowers were huge and immaculate and seemed to relish the cold climate at Eggleston Hall. Wilson also found the time to begin raising his own seedlings and had he remained at the Hall, he would no doubt have raised and registered many more new and exciting flowers. The pink-rimmed ‘Barnard Castle’ was one of his raisings that eventually found favour as a good show flower and which eventually went round the world to New Zealand where it also did well.Wilson was one of the first UK growers to visit the New Zealand shows and his report in the NIDG journal of 1982 makes interesting reading.
It was during his time at Eggleston Hall that Lynne and I got to know Wilson very well
and we became very close friends, travelling to Committee meetings and shows together and enjoying exchange dinner evenings (Wilson was a first class chef and could teach me a
thing or two!). Wilson was also a member of our two local horticultural Societies at
Richmond and Colburn and he supported both shows every year.
On one weekend in April in the early 80’s, Colburn was hosting the Northern Group
Sponsored Class at its Spring Show and we had many visitors and exhibitors from all over
Yorkshire. After staging and while the judges were completing their task, the whole
ensemble took the opportunity to travel up to Eggleston Hall at Wilson’s invitation, to
see the amazing daffodil growing regime out in the wilds of Co.Durham. The visitors were
treated to an insight into cultivation in pots, under poly-tunnel (one of the first to use
this system at that time) and in the open raised beds in the walled garden. We still have
many photos of the visitors that day and the impressions they took back with them, to try
out in their own gardens.
Unfortunately, Wilson was to make a number of occupational moves after this time and his travels took him to Ware in Hertfordshire; Maxwelton House, Moniaive, Scotland; Cold Christmas in Hampshire and latterly to retire to his beautiful ‘Honeysuckle Cottage’
situated in Bugthorpe, Nr York a tied courtesy dwelling belonging to Lord Halifax’s
Estate and for whom Wilson had been a personal butler in earlier years.
Though unmarried, Wilson enjoyed his retirement with his other loves and constant
companions, his pedigree Pugs, of which he had up to three or four at any one time and
which he also exhibited at top dog shows around the country, including Crufts. He settled
into remote village life, something he was well used to and continued to grow a few
exhibition daffodils in pots in his small greenhouse and garden, mainly for pleasure but
occasionally a short foray to Harrogate or the Ancient Society of York Florists spring
shows.
Wilson served on The Daffodil Society’s Committee for a number of years and also on the D.S. Northern Group’s Committee from its inaugural meeting. A great grower, writer and
exhibitor of daffodils, but above all a great friend and companion. He will be sorely
missed by all who new this gentle, mild-mannered and very knowledgeable man. Tragically, Wilson lost both of his parents in a serious road traffic accident some years ago,
however, he leaves a brother and family and to whom we send our heartfelt condolences.
Jan & Lynne Dalton.
Earlier this year, our Society Editor, Camilla Bassett-Smith, worked as Assistant Producer on The Great British Garden Revival for BBC2.
This series included an episode dedicated to daffodils and a visit from Camilla and the team to our Daffodil Society Show at Coughton Court.
The Society features at the end of the programme with some great contributions from many Committee members.
We have just had news in that this episode will now be on screen on BBC2 on 7th January 2015. So set your recorders for half an hour of daffodil delight!
For Carol Klein the yellow trumpet of the daffodil heralds the onset of spring but modern hybrids are leaving some of our older, traditional heritage varieties out in the cold and we are in danger of losing some of them forever. As a plantswoman with a love for these springtime beacons of colour, Carol wants to get us all growing these beautiful bulbs in our gardens.
Carol Klein
The Society will be holding a Judges test on Sunday 19 April 2015 at Coughton Court, the same location as the annual show.
Any candidate wishing to participate should contact the Society secretary Terry Braithwaite for an application form and further details. An administration charge of £10.00, refundable after the examination is completed, should be included with your application.
The test requires candidates to complete a written examination and a number of practical exercises simulating judging daffodil classes at a show. The test is conducted in a friendly manner and recognises that this is quite a stressful occasion for candidates (and invigilators!) We want to put you at your ease and give you the opportunity to show your skill and knowledge … and pass.
We can provide a sample test paper and opportunities to steward at RHS and depending on your location, some affiliated shows as well as accompanying judges at the Daffodil Society show the day before the judges test.