It was on a bright, late summer’s day, ‘Lady Moore’, in the form of three small daffodil bulbs (Note all daffodils are members of the genus Narcissus), emerged from an envelope left at reception in the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin 9.
Same were a generous gift from gardener Ms Mary O’Brien, who had sourced them from Croft 16, latter a partnership set up by Kate and Duncan Donald, who held the national plant collection of pre 1930 daffodils.
Pic (2): Narcissus ‘Lady Moore’.
Historical accounts suggest narcissi have been cultivated from the earliest times, and became increasingly popular in Europe after the 16th century. By the late 19th century narcissi were an important commercial crop centred primarily in the Netherlands.
This daffodil was named after Sir Frederick Moore’s wife Phyllis (nee Wilhelmina Phyllis Paul), latter an accomplished horticulturalist in her own right.
Sir Frederick (1857–1949), latter recognized universally as Ireland’s premier horticulturist was, for 43 years, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin and was knighted in 1911, in recognition of his services to horticulture.
His wife, Lady Phyllis Moore, (1878 – 1976), as already stated, was highly regarded as a plants person and keen gardener and indeed there are other plants named after her, e.g. Acanthus spinous ‘Lady Moore’; the Irish snowdrop ‘Galanthus Lady Moore’; – and the pale blue Iris, Iris pallida ‘Lady Moore’, to name just some.
Note: Approximately, 5 only of these rare ‘Lady Moore’ Narcissus bulbs, have been sourced, and will now to go on sale at the home of rare plants, namely O’Driscoll’s Garden Centre, Mill Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, as and from 9:00pm tomorrow morning.
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