This legendary, 18th-century tazetta is one of our most sought-after treasures. “Certainly no finer flowering bulbs are available for Southerners,” Ogden writes in Garden Bulbs for the South. “They are by far the most vigorous, persistent, and floriferous” narcissus in zones 8-9bS/11WC. If you garden there, you want this jewel! Aka ‘Grand Primo Citroniere’, 8 W-Y, 14-16”, fat, fresh California-grown bulbs. Chart to compare.

With distinctively long bells that give it a look of langourous abundance, this post-war beauty “stands out as exceptional” among the often “rather similar” triandrus clan, says connoisseur Geoff Stebbings in his excellent Spring Bulbs. Its silky blooms are a mellow, creamy white, and the first time it bloomed here we knew we had to share it. 5 W-W, 14-16”, zones 5-8aS/10WC, from Holland. Chart to compare.

This very rare relic from the dawn of the Golden Age of daffodils was bred by Lancashire weaver John Horsefield (whose name lost an “e” when Latinized.) It was the Model T of daffodils, revealing their enormous potential, and as late as 1907 experts were still praising it as “grand and popular.” With white petals and a rich yellow trumpet, it’s sturdy, handsome, and still awesome. 1 W-Y, 14”, zones 5-7bS/9WC, from Holland’s greatest daffodil collector. Chart to compare. Although we hope to offer this rarity again in 2013, availability may not be confirmed until June. Please check back then or subscribe to our email newsletter for an alert.

Lemon chiffon pie? The fresh, light color of this rare double is hard to describe but refreshingly different from the bright yellows and golds of most daffodils. It’s distinct in shape, too, a fluffy poof of a flower, relaxed yet never sloppy. Prepare to meet a real individual! 4 Y-Y, 16-18”, z. 4-7S/9WC, Holland. Chart to compare.

‘Insulinde’ somehow manages to be both graceful and exuberant at the same time. Framed by a row or two of creamy white outer petals, its center is a throng of luminous orange petalets spiked with random flares of cream. Bred by the illustrious Mrs. Backhouse (of daffodil and lily fame), it’s named for a romantic Victorian novel that was set in Indonesia. 4 W-O, 21-23”, zones 5-7bS/9WC, from Holland. Chart to compare.

This is the neatest double daffodil we’ve ever seen. With creamy white petals arranged just so and trimmed with bits of pale primrose, perfect on an Edwardian lady’s Easter bonnet. For the surprising story of the real Irene and her sister Mary, shared with us by Irene’s daughter, click here. 4 W-Y, 16-18”, zones 4-7bS/9WC, from Holland. Chart to compare.

From the creator of the great Copeland family trio — ‘Irene’, ‘Mary’, and ‘Mrs. William’ — comes this rare flower with round, creamy white petals and a wonderfully ruffled cup of apricot-gold maturing to lemon. (Read the family’s story here.) It’s named for the 17th-century diarist and author of books about everything from trees (his famous Sylva) to “sallets.” 2 W-O, early blooming, 18-20”, zones 4-8aS/10WC, from Holland. Chart to compare. Although we hope to offer this rarity again in 2013, availability may not be confirmed until June. Please check back then or subscribe to our email newsletter for an alert.

“The sweetest smelling flower your grandmother grew,” says our friend Celia Jones of Sisters’ Bulb Farm, and for many Southerners N. jonquilla’s fragrance is the essence of spring. Its clusters of nickel-sized flowers with tiny cups seem made for fairies, and this true heirloom blooms much earlier than modern Dutch forms. A.k.a. Sweeties, Simplex, Cologne Bottle, and more; 13 Y-Y, 8-10”, zones 6b-8bS/10WC, from Texas. Chart to compare. (For the double form of this tiny treasure, see ‘Queen Anne's Double Jonquil’.)

This fragrant charmer looks like a miniature, multi-flowered, soft yellow pheasant’s eye. The child of a wild jonquil and N. poeticus, it has rounded petals of palest yellow and a small, flat, golden cup that’s banded with deep orange. It’s named for a Scottish songbird and its fragrance – as you might guess from its parents – is heavenly. 7 Y-YYO, 8-12”, zones 6b-8aS/10WC, from Holland. Chart to compare. Last offered web-only in 2012. Although we hope to offer this rarity again in 2013, availability can’t be confirmed until June. Please check back then or subscribe to our email newsletter.

So many of you asked for this sweet-scented, apricot beauty that we kept knocking on doors till we found the one last Dutch farmer growing it. Its form can be unruly, but its apricot shading and light, enchanting perfume have won it many fans. Its name honors the remarkable wife of William the Silent. 2W-YYP, 18-20”, zones 4-8aS/10WC. Chart to compare.