Forced Bulb Decisions

When the daily 'feels like' is 110º one has to think cool thoughts. Nothing is as cooling as thinking about forced bulbs for the dead of winter.

After decades of forced bulbs in water, I've narrowed to a favorite: Hyacinths planted in pots of soil.

Mama always forced paperwhites in water. I was surprised to learn as an adult that not everybody's mother forced bulbs. It was as much a part of our Christmas as oranges and peppermint candy.

Mama never forced Amaryllis. I plan to skip a year of buying new Amaryllis bulbs and just see what reblooms this winter.

The hard part now is deciding which Hyacinths. I simplified that decision last year by buying locally a bag of mixed hyacinths. They ran mostly to pink shades despite the picture on the bag that showed blues and whites and yellows as well.

This is how they ended up after I picked out the dark bulbs and separated them from the tan bulbs so there was a better chance of all in a pot of 5 being in the same color family.

The previous year I planted pink, and white and the year before that, blue.

2013.

A single bulb makes a grand little gift.

Five in a pot is even better.

The pink colors seem to do best at persisting when they're put in ground after that forced bloom in pots. Bulbs planted in soil can just be slipped into the ground after bloom, pinching off the florets.

I have to hurry and place my order before I start looking back and reminiscing about how I have, too, brought tulips to successful bloom and my careful plans are out the window and I am ordering purple tulips again.

Gypsy Queen Hyacinths and purple tulips. 

More of my Hyacinths are HERE.

Do you force bulbs in winter? Do you have a favorite? Do you have a favorite vendor?

After note: I have decided on my bulbs and will place an order with Longfield Gardens very soon. I won a gorgeous Amaryllis bulb and some tulips before and think I owe them some allegiance on this order.

Where Are my Blue Hyacinths?

I was sure there would be at least one blue out of 15. There was a blue on the package label along with all these and one other color. These turned out to be  excellent mixed pots.

I didn't FORCE anybody. They are blooming outside here, too.

I noticed that Blue Festival is starting to bloom. Need more.

Coming attractions: Amaryllis, tricked into early bloom.

A Bit about Hyacinths

It may be a while before we know if I killed the blooms 

inside the Hyacinth bulbs.

They're starting to show points of green. 

Some of them pushed themselves out of the ground. 

2015 may not be the best Hyacinth year I ever had. 

This may have been 2012.

2013 was a good Hyacinth year, too.

I would plant Gypsy color again.

2014 I got fancy with Sedum acre in the pots. 

I looked around outside yesterday. Hyacinth foliage is showing up in the garden. One brave little pink flower bloomed before the last freeze, only to be frostbitten and brown. Its companions are more hesitant to show themselves just yet.

Next year it's back to purple shades. Please, help me remember.

Glamour Shots: New Year's Cactus and Ugly Bulbs

This is my favorite of the Schlumbergeras that Miss Trudy gave me cuttings. Miss Trudy died in 2014 following a long and useful life. Her memory lives on.  

This particular pot took a notion to wait until after Christmas to bloom, unlike its twin that bloomed in the house all during the Holidays. 

I transferred its plastic pot into my new gold-trimmed pot.

I learned a lesson about improvised duct tape trays. The cardboard gets limp in high humidity. Greenhouse trays need to be waterproof. 

More learning experiences from the Hyacinth trial. 

Instead of chilling hyacinth bulbs first, I set the bulbs in soil and put pot and all into a refrigerator. I think I mentioned before that I forgot to check the vegetable drawers for left-over fruit and there were pears in there. Perhaps there will be no bloom. Oops.

I brought them out today, eight weeks of chill. In plastic bags against the drying effect of a frost-free refrigerator, the bulbs were covered in blue mold. Not to worry, according to Brent and Becky. It washed off easily when I watered.

Hyacinth bulbs, reset. These were a mixed bag.

2 pots of mostly blue, one of white and/or yellow.

The second lesson is that I didn't cover the bulbs with soil, just set them with most of the bulb showing. Instead of developing roots drawing down into the soil, roots pushed the bulbs upward. They were willy-nilly in the pots.

Carefully I reset the bulbs into the soil and covered those pretty white roots. I hope they are going to pull downward now. I looked for signs of sprouting.

Bulb at top has a tiny bit of sprout emerging, not yet green.

The New Year is a time of expectation. Bulbs that wait through the fall begin to sprout. Daffodil foliage is emerging outdoors. My word for the New Year is Joy. 

Hyacinths, Hyacinths, Hyacinths

One of the loveliest and most fragrant bulbs for forcing, Hyacinths bring color indoors during the worst part of winter. Once prepared by chilling, and they can be bought pre-chilled if you don't like bulbs in your refrigerator where they refuse to share space with apples (blast their buds). They just need a container, either a vase of water or a small pot of soil.

If brought to bloom in water, special vases are fun but any vase with a narrow neck and flare that will hold the bulb above water allowing the roots to reach water and stay hydrated with the bulb dry.

After years of water growth, I now prefer to place bulbs in little clay pots of soil with at least half the bulb exposed. This year I gave away single pots of Pink Pearl and had pots with 4 or 5 filled with White Pearl.

Pink Pearl in the Garden 2014, planted years back.

Yes, that's a butterfly. 2012. I want this color again.

Next year's plan is for Blue Jacket and more China Pink. I may put them straight into the ground and save greenhouse space for other projects.

By next fall, I may forget this plan and decide on 3 shades of purple, or some City of Haarlem yellows. Maybe some hot pink Jan Bos and pale lavender Top Hit. It's hard to settle on a favorite.

Which is your favorite?