Even though Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow last month and it sure does still feel like winter, it won’t be long before the gray skies clear, the leaves start to return to the trees and the daffodils start pushing out of the soil. Here in Washington County, though, there won’t just be any daffodils poking out of the ground, especially not at Joe Hamm’s Daffodil Hortus in Hopewell Township.
Joseph Hamm’s Daffodil Hortus, located at 99 Maple Road in Hopewell Township in Washington, features an impressive collection of more than 2,000 varieties. This American Daffodil Society public garden is overflowing with blooms in every conceivable shape, color and size.
An avid gardener, Hamm’s interest was piqued in the late 90s when his insurance agent convinced him to join the daylily society. Other garden societies followed, including iris, hosta and his beloved daffodils, which he began collecting in 1990. Since there are over 30,000 varieties of daffodil, Hamm decided to start collecting heritage blooms from his year of birth, 1938, and go backward from there. He has since collected hundreds of historic (registered before 1940) and classic (1940-1969) daffodils, but those aren’t even the oldest: Hamm even has varieties dating back to the 1500s and maybe even some older than that. It all makes for one impressive display of beautiful spring blooms and a lifetime of dedication.
Hamm’s Daffodil Hortus is one of 26 collections in the country recognized by the American Daffodil Society and only one of two in the state, making it one of the more unique attractions in Washington County and Hamm himself a national expert on heritage daffodils. Even though he has thousands of bulbs in his collection, Hamm only needs less than a dozen to maintain his display each spring, so he sells the rest to visitors and other interested collectors during an annual sale. It’s not a business to him, though, so much as it is an effort to spread the same kind of joy the flowers give him.
Hamm encourages people to visit, take photos and explore the gardens for free. Joe Hamm’s Daffodil Hortus is free and open to visitors while the daffodils are in bloom, which typically lasts from March to the first week of May. Don't wait to visit, though, as the length of the season varies depending on weather. The Daffodil Gardens are located at 99 Maple Road, Washington, PA 15301.
