indoor gardening

Paperwhites in the morning. Better than an alarm clock

A few of the paperwhite bulbs I planted indoors are in bloom, and they are fragrant beyond belief. It was the first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes this morning. Just one of the bulbs in our bedroom has flowered so far, but the intoxicating scent fills the room. I can see a few buds on the other plants, so I’m in for a sensory treat later in the week.

paperwhite showing roots 2-4-2015 4-09-10 PM

Closeup view of Narcissus Paperwhite roots

Note: I carried the vase outside for better light

Out in the kitchen, the scent greeted me again. If I were a bird or a bee, the message would be clear: I’m irresistible! That’s why my Latin name is Narcissus.

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Paperwhite and chick

The single bloom in my little pink planter makes me giggle. It seems improbable that the long, lean stem could remain upright, but so far, so good.

I will definitely be planting more of these indoors in the future. It’s been a splendid treat.

How about you? Do you ever grow bulbs indoors?

Van Zyverden Narcissus ‘Paperwhite Ziva’

My Paperwhite Narcissus got started without me. Nature waits for no one.

I knew that of course, but life got busy and before you can say ‘plant me’, well, you know the rest.

It’s been several years since planting indoor bulbs. This year I had the best excuse: this gorgeous glass vase.

Narrow glass vase

Several friends from my Pilates class attended the Los Altos Art and Wine Show in August of 2013. There I fell in love with this glass vase. Once home, my passion didn’t fade, but I realized how tricky is was to keep flowers upright in such a long, narrow vase. I eventually settled on dried hydrangeas from the garden. The full bloom helped keep everything upright, but I really wanted to get more use from the vase.

My classmate, Nadia suggested that I plant it instead with bulbs. I could hardly wait for summer to pass again so I could give it a try.

Paper Whites, viewed from above

A quick Google search lead me to this video. I watched it twice thinking I must have missed a step. Nope! It’s that easy.

Line your designated container with a few inches/centimeters of marbles or pebbles.

Nestle your bulbs into the filler, roots facing down.

Add a few more pebbles to hold your bulbs in place.

Add water to the top of the gravel and enjoy.