HERE'S A DILEMMA YOU MIGHT BE FACING -- What to do with the hyacinths, tulips, and other bulbs you forced for indoor winter-bloom. In truth, some of these bulbs are worth keeping for future enjoyment outdoors. Others, not so much. Here's how I determine the fate of my own, myriad forced bulbs, and how I care for the keepers: Read more » Bulbs
Forced Bulbs: What to Keep, What to Toss
March 19, 2013
HERE'S A DILEMMA YOU MIGHT BE FACING -- What to do with the hyacinths, tulips, and other bulbs you forced for indoor winter-bloom. In truth, some of these bulbs are worth keeping for future enjoyment outdoors. Others, not so much. Here's how I determine the fate of my own, myriad forced bulbs, and how I care for the keepers: Read more » Forcing Fun: Tropical Narcissi
November 20, 2012
WHY DID I PLANT OODLES OF TROPICAL NARCISSI THIS MORNING? Well, because I want oodles of fragrant flowers to set among my holiday greens. I also wanted to put my collection of How I Force Tulips for Winter Bloom
September 27, 2012
HERE AT A GARDEN FOR THE HOUSE, I'm busy potting tulips for indoor winter bloom. Tulipa 'Christmas Dream,' pictured up top, bloomed in my bedroom window one February. What a thrill to see the pastel-pink petals against a background of snow! Tulips will bloom at the wrong time of the year for you, too, providing you pot the bulbs in early autumn. Here's my fail-proof forcing guide: Read more » Forcing Hyacinths for Winter Bloom
September 19, 2012
WHY WAIT until April to inhale the intoxicating air of hyacinths? Pot a few in early autumn, and then you can enjoy them -- just as I do -- when January blizzards blow. Bulbs can be forced in soil, in pebbles and water, or in special vases. I favor the vases because they are small enough to fit in narrow quarters, like the latch ledge of my parlor window (above). How to coax the bulbs into early bloom: Read more » First Aid for Non-Blooming Daffodils
April 2, 2012
THE TIMELY TOPIC OF DAFFODILS CAME UP THIS WEEK, when a reader asked "Why don't my daffodils have flowers?" Actually, these Narcissi have a number of requirements. If their needs are not met, the bulbs will deny us their bright bouquets. And here is my list of causes and cures for poor- or non-flowering daffodils: Read more » Now in Bloom, February 2012
February 14, 2012
IN DEFIANCE OF WINTER, the plants in my music room window are singing a spring song. Would you like to meet these bloomers and perfumers? Say "hello" in this click-to-enlarge photo gallery (and I hope you'll tell me what's growing in your own window garden): Read more » Chinese Sacred Lily/A Giveaway
January 11, 2012
BLOOMING NOW in the east window of my upstairs bath is the fabulous "Chinese Sacred Lily," Narcissus tazetta v. orientalis. What a welcome sight! The flowers are pure white, with a deep-tangerine cup. And the fragrance they emit -- a blend of honey, clove, and citrus -- is something to sing about. I'd like you to enjoy these perfumed blooms, too. And that's why I've purchased a package of 10 bulbs to give away in this month's random drawing. Read more » 
