These dedicated breeders kept meticulous records and from them we discover that they produced over 25,000 different seedlings during their experimentation. Around 440 of these were considered fine enough to name and, once produced in good numbers, were sold to buyers from all over the world during the 20th century. Major Ian was a retired soldier and was precise in the extreme, planting his seeds three inches apart in rows eight inches wide, his flowers creating an immaculate golden parade ground. A spring visit to Brodie is a breath-taking experience, especially in seasons when bad weather delays early varieties and they all bloom together. Thousands upon thousands of mixed varieties border the West Drive, while in the Shrubbery visitors come upon discrete groups protected from cross fertilisation at every turn.
To date approximately a quarter of the old varieties have been recovered, some rescued from uncontaminated stock, others rebred by the Trust gardener, David Wheeler, using the meticulous surviving records. Assistance was also given by specialists from Aberdeen College of Agriculture. Just last year, (2009), yet another original Brodie variety was confirmed growing in the Antipodes, which generated immense excitement. It will join the special collection which borders the Cathedral Walk, an avenue of lime trees leading to the now defunct walled garden.
Creating a FortuneIn the castle library is a black and white photograph of a gardener holding up a huge daffodil bulb. Underneath is written his words, 'This is worth more than my wages for a year - £25.' It was the very first large daffodil bred to have an orange trumpet. Predictably it was named Fortune and from it is descended every large, single trumpet narcissus of this colourin existence .
Two points should be made here. When Ian Brodie and two Irish fellow breeders began their work towards the end of the 19th century, daffodils were localised wild plants, rare in most areas. When they did exist they were profuse, like those which caught the attention of William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy. This was the narcissus which our Victorian breeders decided to develop for commercial use; they are considerably smaller and daintier than modern varieties and grow in lightly dappled shade. Secondly, the species of daffodil, belonging to the genus narcissus, is usually defined as having a trumpet as long as the petals.
Certified Stock Sold to Visitors Help Provide Reserves
When a Brodie bulb is sold to the public, each is guaranteed pest and disease free and comes with a certificate of authenticity. By buying it, the new owner is making an important contribution in the preservation of these rarities in the National Collection. A request is made for personal details so that the whereabouts of the bulb is known to the breeders in case the castle stock is struck by disease. For this reason, it is assumed that the flowers will have a corner of the garden to themselves to minimise cross-fertilisation, although it is not essential. Different varieties of surplus breeding stock are available in different years.
Costs Reflect Rarity and Difficulty of BreedingThose who have already bought Brodie daffodils will know that the variation in price reflects not only the beauty of the flower but also the difficulties experienced in its production and care. The cheapest on the market recently, and probably the easiest to grow, is Loch Maree, at seven bulbs for £10. Then come Cotterton and Kilmorack, Tain and Daviot. The most expensive, a new variety bred from historic stock, is named Helena Brodie after the deceased wife of the late 25th Brodie of Brodie. It was he who transferred the castle, its contents and grounds containing the precious daffodil collection to the National Trust for Scotland. These cost £10 per bulb – and there were only four of them, making them very special indeed.
Such prices suggest that these treasures are only for the specialists and that they might need coddling, but they have been bred in a northern climate. Five Knockomie bulbs bought and planted nine years ago produced seven flowers in their first season, then fourteen, twenty two and thirty eight in the succeeding years, thriving on neglect in a windy, exposed country garden just a few miles from the castle; they are now throwing up to over sixty blooms every spring. This variety was produced when Ian Brodie was trying to produce daffodils with pink trumpets. Knockomie is almost there, with a very pale pink colour, which is deeper and more distinctly pink when the soil is well fed. Five Daviots bought two years ago and planted in the same garden (in a different corner) produced eleven blooms in their first season and seventeen last spring, a better return than any banker can offer.
Sources: Brodie Castle NTS archives; gardening records
Margaret Woodward - Born into a farming family in north east Scotland I graduated from Aberdeen University and headed for London to work in the Oxford ...
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