Southampton - "Daffy-down-dilly is now come to town; With a petticoat green and a bright yellow gown."

Remember that nursery rhyme? Well, she's here. April is daffodil time. After the dark, dreary days of winter, daffodils and narcissus burst onto the spring garden scene like little eruptions of sunshine. They're coming into bloom in the Hamptons now, their cheery blossoms welcoming spring.

Narcissus and daffodils range in size from six inches to one-and -a-half feet.

Daffodils and other narcissus are easy to grow, and ask for little in the way of care. Deer and voles - the nemeses of the elegant but fragile tulip - don't bother daffodils. Tulips aren't good bets here, unless you surround your garden with a 10-foot fence to keep out the deer, or line the planting trench with hardware cloth to defeat the voles. Or grow them in pots. But you can have narcissus by the armload, so let their sunny color light up your spring garden.

There are many kinds to choose from besides the classic golden trumpets - hundreds of narcissus varieties are available. Narcissus and daffodils range in size from six inches to one-and-a-half feet. Their petals come in shades of yellow from rich gold to pale lemon, ivory, or pure white. The central cup may be golden, buttery, pale primrose, white, apricot, salmon-pink, or red orange. Some cups are split and frilly, others are small and shallow, or edged in a deep orange. Some varieties have extra petals that give them the look of a miniature peony. The flowers may bloom one to a stem or in clusters. Some daffodils are sweetly fragrant. Some stand up straight while others curtsy toward the ground, with their narrow petals swept gracefully backward.

The small, earliest blooming varieties, such as February Gold, are the easiest to naturalize - they'll spread to form a carpet over time. They're charming in the garden, and lovely planted with blue grape hyacinths or Siberian squills.

The time to plant daffodils and narcissus bulbs is in fall, so plan ahead to have them in your garden next year.

The time to plant daffodils and narcissus bulbs is in fall, so plan ahead to have them in your garden next year. Or you can buy them now, in pots, and put them in the ground when they finish blooming. They're easy to grow and adaptable. Give them a spot in full sun to partial shade, and soil that's well-drained and rich in organic matter. Add some compost to your soil every year. They won't do well in soggy soil or heavy shade. Plant small varieties three to five inches deep and four to five inches apart, larger ones six inches deep and six inches apart.

If you've already got daffs in your beds, clip off the old flowers when they fade, but leave the foliage intact until it starts to yellow and dry. The leaves nourish the bulbs and it's important not to cut them off too soon, or the plants will exhaust themselves and won't bloom next year.

The small, earliest blooming varieties, such as February Gold, are the easiest to naturalize - they'll spread to form a carpet over time.

If you garden organically (and you do, don't you?), feed your bulbs in autumn with an organic all-purpose or bulb fertilizer. And don't forget the compost. Otherwise, fertilize in spring when the shoots emerge and again when the plants finish blooming.

Narcissus and daffodils last long in the garden and make great cut flowers, too. Cut them when the tip of the bud begins to show color. Split the ends of the stems and stand them in a deep vase of cool water for several hours to condition them before putting them on display. Add a bit of sugar to the water if you like. Change the water every day the flowers are in the vase and they'll last longer.

One place to see daffodils locally is LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton. It opens to the public for the season on April 25, on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Find more information at longhouse.org.

A Few Daffodils To Grow
There are hundreds of varieties of daffodils and narcissus. Here are a few to try in your garden:

Some daffodils are sweetly fragrant. Some stand up straight while others curtsy toward the ground, with their narrow petals swept gracefully backward.

Small Early Bloomers
 • February Gold (rich golden yellow).
 • Ice Wings (white, fragrant).
 • Jack Snipe (yellow cup, white petals)
 • Tete-a-Tete (clear yellow petals, darker yellow cup).
Fragrant Varieties
 • Baby Moon (small, bright yellow, great in a rock garden).
 • Bell Song (soft apricot-pink cup, creamy white petals).
 • Fragrant Rose (deep orange cup, broad, creamy petals).
 • Golden Echo (yellow cup, white petals).
 • Lemon Drops (lemon yellow cup, pale yellow-white petals).
 • Suzy (orange cup, bright yellow petals)
Thalia (white).
Some Classics
 • Barrett Browning (white petals, small orange cup).
Flower Record (white petals, yellow cup edged in orange).
 • King Alfred (bright golden yellow, classic daffodil form).
 • Mt. Hood (creamy white).
 • Spellbinder (petals open yellow and take on a greenish tinge as they age, cup fades to white).