In the Northeast, there is a blanket of white covering the ground and snow falling all around, and I am planting bulbs not outside, but on my kitchen counter. The forced Paperwhite’s bulbs that I am planting I purchased towards the end of December and have kept in a white paper bag for over a month now. It was not my intention to do so, but I just didn’t make the time to plant them until now. As I open the bag and peak in, I’m nicely surprised to see that they look as healthy as when I bought them from Terrain, and they have even started to sprout a little growth.

Planting the bulbs took less than an hour. First, I put down newspaper on the kitchen counter to easily clean up my inevitable mess. After that I put together my supplies: two 8” round pots, stones, potting soil, twenty bulbs and my watering can. I then layer the bottom of the pot with stones to hold moisture and follow with soil to about half way in the pot and lightly pack it down. As I pickup each Paperwhite I admire the delicate, brown papery skin and how each one of them is different from the last one I picked up from its bulbous shape to the stems that have started to sprout: some with a hook, or straight up into the air, some longer, some shorter, each having a distinct personality.

After arranging them in the pot, I add more dirt to cover them about half the height of the bulb leaving at least a half-inch between the dirt and the top of the pot for watering (something I learned from the last time I planted them). Again, I lightly pack it down around the bulbs and water. After the cleanup, I place the pots by the window with the southeasterly sun, and I know watering and sunshine will nourish them along the way.

As much as I have enjoyed my hour of planting in the dead of winter, I most look forward to the next couple of months while watching the beauty and miracle of the Paperwhites growing right before my very eyes. Every day amazed by the growth that seems to have happened overnight, they remind me of the true miracles that are happening all around me and to be more aware of the things I take for granted.

What is your favorite bulb to grow indoors, and what have you learned from it?

Photo at the top of the post: Narcissus bulbs

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