In the Northeast, there is a blanket of white covering the ground and snow falling all around. I’m planting in the snowfall, though not in my garden, but in my studio. The forced Paperwhite bulbs I purchased in December and have kept in a paper bag for over a month now have given me something to look forward to during the cold months of January and February. As I open the bag and peek in, I’m nicely surprised to see that they look as healthy as when I bought them, and they have even started to sprout a little growth.

Every day I know I’ll be amazed by the growth that seems to have happened overnight, which reminds me of the true miracles that are happening all around me.

I recently wrote about growing Paperwhites and using a dilution of alcohol (7 parts water to 1 part Vodka or 13 parts water to 1 part 70% rubbing alcohol) to help stunt the growth of the stems so the flowers don’t flop over or need support. So as an experiment, I’m going to grow eight of them in a tall glass container with water and the other eight in a lower glass container with the vodka/water mixture to see if it really does stunt the growth of the stems, allowing them to stand straighter and not flop over.

The process of planting Paperwhite bulbs is really easy and truly takes little time and minimal clean up, especially when using small white stones which hold the moisture of the water and give the bulbs something to rest on. As I’m planting them, I enjoy picking up each one and admiring the delicate, brown papery skin. I love how each one of them is different from the last, 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.

You can also plant the bulbs in a pot with dirt. When I have done that in the past, I 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. I lightly pack the dirt down around the bulbs and then water. If you plant with stones or dirt you can try the vodka/water mixture, and either way, you will get the same aromatic results once they are in bloom.

I’m looking forward to the next couple of months of watching the beauty and miracle of the Paperwhites growing right before my very eyes along with my three Amaryllis bulbs which I also planted in tall glass containers with stones and water. Every day I know I’ll be amazed by the growth that seems to have happened overnight, which reminds me of the true miracles that are happening all around me.

Share with me below: What is your favorite indoor bulb? Have you learned anything from it?

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Paperwhite bulbs. Photographed in Wilton, CT.

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