Big, bright, and sun-proof, Happy Smiles is a large-cupped daffodil bred by M. E. Brogden of New Zealand from 'Conquest' and 'Bandit'. The 4-inch flowers have rounded creamy, greenish-white petals around a bowl-shaped, pale greenish-yellow cup thickly banded in orange. Tall 18-20″ stems make it a natural for cutting.
Blooms: The 4" flowers are held one to a stem, with a wide orange band around a soft yellow cup that holds its color in the sun. It blooms mid-spring (April in zone 5) on 18-20" stems and is hardy in zones 3-7. Plant it in groups for a cheerful drift that reads well from a distance.
Plant: Plant the bulb like most daffodils in 6+ hours of winter sun, well-drained soil, avoid standing water, and avoiding too much competition. Plant the bulbs about 2-3 times the size of the bulb (so if the bulb is 1 inch long, plant it 2-3 inches deep). If you are farther north and get very cold during the winter, you may want to plant it about 4-6 inches deep. Space the holes about 3-6 inches apart, and for a more natural looking display, consider planting 2-3 bulbs in each hole.
Landscaping Tip: Narcissus bloom at different times so as one daffodil is ending its bloom time another is just beginning. We like to say that "there is a bulb that blooms every week of the year in warmer climates." Your garden can have consistent flowers that you can enjoy inside or outside for months and carry you all the way from February through April.
Animals: Like other daffodil bulbs, critters, including deer and gophers, leave this bulb alone. Bees and other early pollinators still find their way to the blooms.