[Fleecewife]

I was looking at the varied daffodils I have in my garden.  They are each in discrete clumps, not the blanket coverage you see on motorway plantings.  I've been aware that large numbers of cultivated daffodils are being planted along verges, presumably to brighten them up, but I only thought more about it recently.
There is a stretch of cultivated daffodils planted along the roadside on the A701, which seems extremely long and distinctly garish.  Looking at the surrounding countryside, these daffodils are totally out of place.  How much better the verges would look with wild flowers planted there, native to the area.
Apart from the appearance, the cultivated daffodils are densely packed, which makes sure no less vigorous species can grow there too.

Since then, I have found that I'm not the only one who isn't happy with this.  A Dr Andy Tasker from the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust started a campaign a few years ago to have all the cultivated daffodils removed, and replaced with various wildflowers, including species Jonquils.  Sadly he died in 2012, before I had ever heard of him or his campaign.  I believe the cause continues though, with local people removing and replacing offensively out of place flowers.

Does anyone know more about this, and what do you think?

[Jukes Mum]

I'm afraid I do not know anything about this, but we have tried to sow wild flower seeds on our verges and banks and they have been largely unsuccessful. The area really needs to be cleared of grass first which is not practical in a lot of areas.

[Buttermilk]

I blame village/town in bloom competitions for the spread of yellow verges.  I think daffs poor value as they soon look scruffy as they die back.

[Marches Farmer]

The previous owners of our farm planted 8000 daffodils around the farm pond.  We estimate they've increased to around 15000 and they look wonderful or a month but we can't graze off the area until they've died down in May.  We've been battling the Spanish bluebells since we arrived and still not won, ditto the cultivated primula species which we hoik out every year so they don't cross-fertilise with the primroses and cowslips.  Still battling!

[PipSqueak]

Wild daffodils are so much prettier!  I was reading the other say about a village near Dymock (an area renowned for wild daffodils) where they are digging up cultivated varieties from the verge and replacing them with wild ones - such a nice idea.  We are lucky here (Malvern) as there are lots of wild daffodils about.

[Fleecewife]

I'm afraid I do not know anything about this, but we have tried to sow wild flower seeds on our verges and banks and they have been largely unsuccessful. The area really needs to be cleared of grass first which is not practical in a lot of areas.

We have found the same, so we sow seeds in pots and trays, then plant them out as plants the following year.  They can stand up to the weeds and grass better by then.

[Fleecewife]

The previous owners of our farm planted 8000 daffodils around the farm pond.  We estimate they've increased to around 15000 and they look wonderful or a month but we can't graze off the area until they've died down in May.  We've been battling the Spanish bluebells since we arrived and still not won, ditto the cultivated primula species which we hoik out every year so they don't cross-fertilise with the primroses and cowslips.  Still battling!

We have the same problem with Spanish Bluebells MF.  Loads planted in our garden, and of course they cross pollinate with our wild ones.  Keep it up, you might win in the end 

[Fleecewife]

Wild daffodils are so much prettier!  I was reading the other say about a village near Dymock (an area renowned for wild daffodils) where they are digging up cultivated varieties from the verge and replacing them with wild ones - such a nice idea.  We are lucky here (Malvern) as there are lots of wild daffodils about.

You're so lucky PipSqueak - we have no wild daffodils near us.  I compromise by growing the small flowered and paler yellow cultivated ones in my garden, and avoiding them spreading beyond the garden.

I think that must be the village I heard about.  Amazing that the whole community feels strongly enough about the problem that they are prepared to give up their time and labour to deal with it.
I wonder if repeatedly cutting them to ground level with a verge trimmer would kill them off eventually, to save all that effort to dig them up.