Gardeners’ World star Monty Don has shared his favourite daffodil variety for spring gardens, praising one variant as the most reliable and cheerful spring bulb to plant in your garden
Alice Sjoberg Social News Reporter
13:03, 02 Mar 2026
Gardener’s World presenter Monty Don has shared his top tips for the best daffodil variants (file)(Image: BBC Studios)
With the grey early-spring conditions showing no signs of shifting anytime soon, with some areas in the UK even being told more snow is on its way, it’s vital to find pleasure in life’s little moments if the absence of sunshine is dampening your mood. One such moment could be the return of the well-loved daffodils that are gradually beginning to emerge once more, marking spring’s arrival for many people.
Daffodils rank among the most dependable spring-flowering bulbs, returning year after year with minimal care, which makes them the ideal spring bulb for most outdoor spaces. When they burst into bloom, their vibrant yellow petals help restore colour to our gardens, roadways and parks once again.
Whilst daffodil bulbs are ideally planted in early to mid-autumn (September through October) to let roots settle in before winter arrives, they can be planted as late as November or December, so long as the ground hasn’t frozen, though earlier planting yields superior spring blooms.
That said, there’s still an opportunity to plant them now, in early March, though be mindful this will result in a delayed spring flowering. But if you’ve only just discovered there are various types of daffodils available – there’s no need to worry!
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To help you in selecting the right daffodils to plant, gardening expert and Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don has revealed what he describes as the ‘most reliable’ daffodil variety.
Speaking on Instagram, Monty posted a picture of some iconic yellow daffodils for his 1.3 million followers, before sharing his specialist advice.
He said: “‘Tete a tete’ – not the subtlest or most unusual daff, but the best, hardiest, most reliably cheerful of all the smaller narcissi, especially in a pot.”
Specialist garden retailer Thompson and Morgan describes the ‘Tete a tete’ variety as an enormously popular, prize-winning miniature daffodil reaching heights of 15–20cm. Each bloom also features two to three scented, vibrant yellow flowers on every stem.
They usually begin to flower in early spring, from February through to April, and are perfect for containers, flower beds, or rock gardens, being tough, dependable, and naturalising with ease, returning in greater numbers each year.
Many associate the bright yellow daffodils with the start of spring(Image: nicolette wells via Getty Images)
Monty wasn’t alone in championing the ‘Tete a Tete’ daffodils, as his post’s comments section quickly brimmed with others extolling their virtues.
“Such a gloriously cheerful flower , spotted some pretty miniature ones that have been planted along of a fence , they were making everyone smile that passed them , much needed joy at this time of the year,” one person wrote.
“I have loads in my garden right now and they are giving me such joy after all the gloomy weather,” a second person agreed, whilst a third user wrote: “Tete a Tete are my favourite and I love them.”
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