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As the weather warms up and the ground thaws, Martha Stewart is back with her most comprehensive gardening book in over 30 years. “Martha Stewart’s Gardening Handbook: The Essential Guide to Designing, Planting, and Growing” (Harvest) provides valuable insights for gardeners of all skill levels. This handbook covers trees, shrubs, specialty gardens, and vegetables, offering guidance on plant care, year-round maintenance, and planning, accompanied by vibrant photos to spark your creativity.
Discover an excerpt from the book below:
“Daffodils”
Daffodils, scientifically known as Narcissus, bloom in various hues of yellow, orange, peach, white, cream, and pink, heralding the arrival of spring. Cultivars like ‘Golden Ducat’, ‘Rip Van Winkle’, and ‘Petit Four’ showcase double flowers on a single stem, while trumpet daffodils feature long centers. Large-cupped daffodils have prominent cups, whereas small-cupped types exhibit shorter cups. Regardless of the variety, daffodils and other small bulbs are highly rewarding, blooming for weeks and adding vibrant colors to your garden with minimal upkeep.
Daffodils thrive in winter-hardy zones 3 to 8, returning year after year if planted in sunny or partially shaded areas with well-drained soil. For a stunning display, opt for naturalizing varieties that spread effortlessly. To create drifts of daffodils, plan ahead with a planting map and plant bulbs two to three times deeper than their height. When harvesting for arrangements, pull the stems instead of cutting to prevent virus transmission.
Allow daffodil foliage to wither naturally to nourish the bulbs for future growth. Fertilize the area with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer after removing spent foliage, and add mulch for protection. Repeat fertilization in the fall for healthy, thriving daffodils year after year.
Excerpt from “Martha Stewart’s Gardening Handbook: The Essential Guide to Designing, Planting, and Growing.” © 2025 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, L.P. Reproduced with permission from Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
Purchase “Martha Stewart’s Gardening Handbook”:
Buy locally from Bookshop.org
For more information on “Martha Stewart’s Gardening Handbook: The Essential Guide to Designing, Planting, and Growing” by Martha Stewart (Harvest), available in hardcover and eBook formats, click here.
s, available March 18 on marthastewart.com
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