Beautiful indoor bulb gardens can be enjoyed throughout the winter months by “forcing” bulbs. Forcing bulbs helps to speed nature along, providing an indoor winter garden of color and fragrance. There are many bulbs that can be forced indoors. The easiest to grow are narcissus tazetta varieties (i.e., Paperwhites) and amaryllis. Amaryllis take about 8 weeks or longer to bloom (there are a few varieties that take 6-8 weeks).  Narcissus take about 6 to 8 weeks to bloom, with Paperwhites being the quickest (about 5-6 weeks). 

For best results, select the largest bulbs you can find. Forcing draws heavily upon a bulb’s food reserves, so those with the greatest amount of stored energy will perform the best.  Narcissus and amaryllis do not need a cooling period like other bulbs need. Also, they can be grown in an entirely soil-less medium. 

To plant your indoor winter garden, choose a non-draining, decorative container. Fill the container with pebbles, gravel, sand, or similar type medium to reach 1 to 1 ½ inches below the rim. Set the bulbs on top of the pebbles, and then hold them in place by adding enough pebbles to cover the bottom quarter of the bulbs.  As the bulbs grow, the roots will cling to the pebbles. This enables the plants to sit upright and keep from falling over. Add water to the container until it is just below the base of the bulbs. This water level should be maintained throughout the growing and blooming periods. 

Place container in a cool, dark location until roots are established. Once shoots are about 2 inches (within 2 to 3 weeks), gradually introduce the container to low light. Eventually move the container to a location with bright, indirect light. This process promotes proper root development, which helps stabilize the bulb and prevents leggy, top-heavy flowers.

Follow these steps to brighten your home with beautiful blooms throughout the winter season. Orchard has a wide selection of bulbs, containers, pea gravel and decorative pebbles, perfect for creating your indoor bulb garden.