Dorset village hall in the grip of daffodil fever "Don't imagine that nature did all that," says Jackie, "there's an art to showing the flower well. "In the dahlia and chrysanthemum world, exhibitors always 'dress" their blooms. We don't go nearly so far: we're not allowed to trim the petals, or to use artificial aids to make them stand straighter. But you'll see many a gentleman with a collection of make-up brushes, grooming his petals. Tricks of the trade It's all in the preparation, explains Gwynne Davies. Gwynne has been showing daffodils for 35 years, and, like Jackie, now travels the world judging daffodils in competition. He ascribes his love of daffodils to reciting the Wordsworth poem at the age of five; that, and being a Welshman. The key is to pick the flowers at the right time - at least a week before the show. Many, especially the pinks and whites, need time to develop their colour fully. The judge is looking for flat, unblemished petals, so exhibitors spend hours each day teasing back the edges with a camel-hair brush. The daffodils carry on growing in the water. Last year's best bloom at the Warwick national show was prepared for glory by standing in water for a week in the fridge. I wonder aloud if that isn't, well, cheating? The company dissolves into mirth. Ray has been known to win best bloom at no fewer than five successive competitions with the selfsame flower of 'Goldhanger," kept tucked among the milk bottles for more than a fortnight. "The bloom should be exactly symmetrical," explains Jackie, "and both top and bottom petals aligned exactly with the stem." All of Ray's line up precisely. "That's because I've tweaked them," he chortles, and seizes the head of a daffodil and twists it around. Amazingly, it doesn't snap off. A couple of deft pinches sort out the trumpet, then he pushes down alarmingly on the neck of the flower until it stands at exactly 90 degrees to the stem. Watching Jackie judge is a revelation. She awards marks for form and stature, condition and texture (an overfed daffodil will look coarse and crêpey), for size and purity of colour. She holds each one up and looks at it sideways, to detect any faults of posture. Then she has a good, long look at the back, which may reveal an uneven overlap of petals, a tear or a "mitten" (a nick made in the petal as it emerges from the spathe), or even, heaven forfend, a speck of fly poo. "That's a pity," she says, downgrading an otherwise flawless 'Thalia." A dab with a cotton bud would have sorted that out. She detects marginal bruising on petals of 'Rapture"; trumpets that are square rather than round; and a 'Sherborne" with too many petals. Bob Symes has not gone home with a first prize today, but there is no shame in being pipped by a world-class exhibitor such as Ray. "Perfection isn't attainable," he sighs. Excellence is. Unless you take part in a show, and pit yourself against the very best, you'll never know how close you've come. Today, Ray's flowers are better than any I have. Good luck to him. "But the weather might pick up, and it could all be very different in a fortnight," consoles Jackie. The season isn't over yet ... How to grow show-quality daffodils Order bulbs by May to secure the most desirable: The Daffodil Society publishes a list of winning varieties. There is also an approved list of cultivars: some shows limit entries to plants from this list. Plant deeply (twice the depth of the bulb) in August or September in pots or in well-drained ground, prepared with fish, blood and bone. Before the frosts, cover pots with a 2in-4in protective layer of soil or coir, until they show signs of life around the beginning of February. Once the buds are well up and the colour starts to show, bring your pots into a cool greenhouse to protect from bug and slug damage - or somewhere warmer if you want to bring them on faster. Keep well watered. Light feeding with a high-potash feed (Gwynne recommends quarter-strength Tomorite) will enhance the colour. When flowering is over, nip off spent flowers at the neck and continue feeding once a week while the leaves die back. Never tie yellowing foliage into knots or cut it off. Pull it off gently after six to eight weeks. Keep the soil surface around the foliage well hoed to ward off narcissus fly. Dig up and burn any bulbs whose foliage show signs of disease. Lift and divide overcrowded clumps in late June or July. Store lifted bulbs in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place, discarding any that are soft or spongy. Where to buy Bramcote Bulbs (0115 925 5498) Ringhaddy Daffodils (028 9754 1007) RA Scamp Quality Daffodils (01326 317959) Walkers Bulbs (01406 426216) For further information, visit The Daffodil Society