Forcing blooms in winter.
I think each year I won’t bother with amaryllis and other flowers forced into winter bloom. After all, I’ve grown them in the past, I know what they look like, so why grow them again?
Why grow them again? If you think that’s an actual question, then you aren’t an actual gardener and you can just mosey right along now to some other website about “plastic flowers are as good as real flowers” or some such nonsense to validate your non-gardening self. The garden fairies will now show you the virtual exit.
Everyone else, please stay and keep reading. You are gardeners. You understand. The garden fairies will now serve you some tea and tiny cookies to sip and eat while think about forcing some of your own winter flowers into bloom.
I like to have a few amaryllis blooming in December, followed by hyacinths forced to bloom in January and February.
And that’s just the beginning.
Yesterday, I planted up a few pre-chilled Lily of the Valley pips which should be blooming later in January.
I also have some crocus corms in the refrigerator that I need to pot up soon, along with some reticulated iris bulbs I held back from fall bulb planting because I read they are easy to force into bloom with no chilling requirements. And I’m going to buy some paperwhite bulbs because I can’t stand not having them, even if it is the variety from the big box store that doesn’t smell that great.
I love my winter flowers and wouldn’t end the year or begin the year, as the case may be, without forcing some into bloom. They keep my hands in the dirt, which I think is essential for good health. Plus, you get flowers.
And flowers are always good to have around.
Thank you to the garden fairies for the tea and tiny cookies. That really hit the spot as we enjoy your winter forced blooms. The lily of the valley must be so sweet and who can resist hyacinths?
I always forget about Lily of the Valley. I might go dig a few up and bring them in to see what happens.
I love the winter blooms of forced plants. I have a beautiful Amaryllis blooming right now. It is red velvet.
I like the garden fairies showing the plastic flower lovers the virtual exit. Enjoy your coaxed blooms. I'm sure enjoying mine.~~Dee
You're making me want to go buy some bulbs to force!
Wonderful post, always love learning 🙂
I'm forcing hyacinth this winter.
I won't make it through the winter if I didn't force a bulb. I do however bring in my Geraniums and they are blooming now as well. I need flowers all year round so yes, I've seen them last year but I need to see them this year.
I think true gardeners have to be nurturing something at all times, it is part of who we are. I do enjoy amaryllis and hyacinths indoors, to get us through the bleakest months ! Early spring bulbs will be in evidence by the time they are finished !
lol too funny! I hung around with no intention of leaving. The question ofwhy have amaryllis is my perennial one, I love them, I grow them, the grasshoppers eat them, they don't recover, they grow leaves, but no more flowers, I buy them, I plant them, the grasshoppers eat them….on and on every year. Before the grasshoppers found them, I had amaryllis blooming all over the garden twice a year, sigh….they are magical and I will never give up.