Just over a week until Scotland’s online daffodil festival

Scotland’s annual daffodil festival is being held in a virtual format next weekend.

The event, taking place on April 17 and 18, with additional sessions over the next two days, will give people who wouldn’t normally be able to attend the chance to hear the experts including TV presenter George Anderson MBE, and special guest on the round table Q&A session.

Scotland’s Daffodil Festival normally runs at the Backhouse Rossie Estate in Fife.

This year’s event offers visitors the chance to safely immerse themselves in the beauty of daffodils and spring flowers in this RHS Partner Garden overlooking the Lomond hills in Fife.

The estate was first mentioned in the written record during the ten hundreds and opened its doors for the first time in 1000 years in 2016.

The virtual event is a chance to enjoy a sparkling festival programme of internationally respected speakers, tours, workshops and Q&A, with delicious springtime recipes and a look at rare butterflies and moths never seen in Fife, but spotted on the estate. Daffodils, plants and produce have been made available for sale on the e-commerce shop.

The schedule is –

Saturday 17 April

10-10.45am: Caroline Thomson: A Tour of the National Collection of Backhouse daffodils, their descendants and other daffodils

11-11.30am: Dr. David Willis ’ ‘The Daffodil Hunt with a Fairy Tale Ending’, daffodil expert & finder of N. ‘Weardale Perfection

11.45am-12.15pm: A Peak into the Backhouse Rossie Heritage and Education Centre with Caroline Thomson

1.30-2.30pm: Christopher Trotter, Fife’s Food Ambassador and renowned chef, talks and cooks seasonal recipes

2.45-3.30pm: Adrian Scamp, a tour of ‘Quality Daffodils’, awarded the highest distinctions including RHS Master Grower

3.45-4.30pm: Duncan Davidson, Scotland’s expert talks about the rare ‘Moths and Butterflies of Backhouse Rossie Estate’

4.45-5pm A look round Backhouse Rossie Plant Sales and e-commerce shop, with planting hints & tips by the experts

Group of N. ‘Dick Wellband’

Sunday 18 April

10-11am: Andrew Thomson Talks about the highs and lows in his 15 + year commitment to developing the estate

11.15am-12.15pm: Tim Viney BSc Hons. Lead Gardener, ‘A Walk Around the Walled Garden and Grounds in Spring’

12.30-12.45pm: Seed Propagation Workshop with Tim Viney, lead gardener at RHS Partner Garden Backhouse Rossie

1.45-2.45pm: Nial Watson ‘Ringhaddy Daffodils’, expert hybridiser, talks and shows his award winning daffodils

3-4pm: Round Table Q&A with George Anderson MBE, John Gibson Vice Chair RHS Bulb committee and Nial Watson

4.15-4.45pm: A brief festival round-up of plants, daffodils, and seasonal recipe books, for sale

Tickets are £5.50 per day, £10 for two days, £4.50 per day for RHS card holders, £8 for two days for RHS card holders. See www.backhouserossie.co.uk for details and to purchase tickets.

This year, Scotland’s Daffodil Festival is able to proceed after it received funding from EventScotland.

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