Paperwhite bulbs

Single bulb in bulb vase

Candy bowl used for bulbs

Vintage Dansk casserole dish used for bulbs

Sunny spot for bulbs

Bulbs rooting in basement

During the holidays and the long days of winter in New York, my mom brightened our home with Paperwhite bulbs.  The smell of the flowers, bright and fragrant, remind me of the holidays and of my childhood.    As soon as I had my first apartment, I bought my first bulbs, beginning with a half dozen, then increasing it as my living spaces got bigger.    This year,  I decided to start earlier and force a greater number of bulbs for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  In an effort to save money, I ordered them online from the website Caladium Bulbs 4 Less Bulbs.  I received 100 Paperwhite 'Ziva' bulbs in the mail for less than $1 each.  They are usually around $1.50 in my local stores.  

The steps to forcing bulbs couldn't be easier, foolproof in fact.  First, find a container in which to force the bulbs.  My containers range from clear glass vases to shallow bowls and ceramic flower pots.  The only requirement is that they don't have holes in the bottom since they will be filled with water.  Next, I surround the bulbs with inexpensive gravel or river stones. I reuse the stones every year so I have a large supply.  I then add water to container so that the water covers 3/4 of the bulb, making sure that the top of the bulb is left dry.  Then, I leave the bulbs in a dark place for about 10 days while they begin to root (adding water as needed).  After 10 days, the bulbs have thick white roots and very pale green shoots that are about 3-4 inches high.  I then put them in a sunny window sill and watch them grow.   They grow about 18" and sometimes need to be tied so that they don't tip over.  After the flowers have faded, I compost them (my Colorado climate is too cold to plant them in the ground),  saving the gravel or stones for next year.   Bloom times vary, but these bulbs started blooming within 4 weeks of starting them.