There's still time to start amaryllis & paperwhites for the holidays. There are newish varieties of paperwhites that don't scent-offend about 50% of the population. (That would be 'Ziva' who so annoys.) If you can still get your hands on the 'minor' bulbs (e.g., muscari) or smallish narcissus, tulips, & so forth, do so, pop into the fridge & follow directions, here. It makes you feel like a genius when they bloom & bunches of tulips are at a premium. Here's a link to Persuading the Paperwhite, godawful pix & all, from Giulia Geranium blog last winter. For containers, look around the house or apartment before buying a thing; I've forced flowers in just about everything not porous; when done, bowls & so on go straight into the dishwasher & serve as food vessels again. (For near-instant gratification, grab one of the amaryllis or paperwhite kits on sale in food markets right now & water. But do pop in & find some other bulbs for later in winter.)
[Flower photographs via White Flower Farm. Image of Amaryllis via artmagik]
2 comments:
the amaryllis i bought my father when he moved into his new flat last year is just flowering a second time around. i'm very happy!
That's wonderful, Letty. I had a neighbor many years ago (when in a house) who was a zen master at amaryllis propagation. The display was stunning...& I inherited a few of them. Alas, they did not thrive under my care.
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