You can garden inside on rainy autumn days
A cold, rainy weekend means fall cleanup can't continue outside. However, it is the perfect time to plant bulbs to bloom this winter inside.
Amaryllis are top of mind when considering indoor-blooming bulbs. The most difficult part of growing amaryllis bulbs may be choosing one. They are available in many colors, some with brilliant and others with soft shades of red, burgundy, pink, rose, orange, salmon and white.
There are also solid and multicolored varieties, and you can choose types with single or double flowers.
Purchase the largest bulbs you can find. They cost more but produce more stems and blooms. Inspect bulbs to make sure they are dry, firm and have no blemishes. It is not uncommon to see bright green buds or leaves just beginning to show.
Choose a pot an inch or so wider in diameter than the widest part of the bulb. Make sure it is deep enough to allow for the bulb's roots, and most importantly, the pot must have drainage holes.
Plant the bulb in potting mix, leaving its shoulders exposed above the soil. Water thoroughly and set it in a bright, warm spot. Water lightly until a stem begins to grow. Amaryllis can begin blooming as early as six weeks after planting but may take as long as 10 weeks.
Paperwhites are another popular choice for winter blooms. The fragrance of their small white flowers fills the air with their sweet perfume.
So easy to grow, paperwhites can be planted in potting mix or simply set on a layer of pebbles. To grow them without potting mix, put a three-inch layer of pebbles or decorative stones in the bottom of a container. Set the bulbs tightly together on top.
Add more pebbles or decorative stones to cover the bulbs up to their shoulders and add water until it just reaches the bottom of the bulbs. Move the container to a cool spot out of direct sunlight. Add water when needed to keep it at this level.
When the bulbs have developed roots, move the container to a sunny window until they begin flowering (usually four to six weeks after planting). The flowers will last longer if they are moved back to a cool spot without direct sunlight.
Plant a container of paperwhites every few weeks to keep your home filled with their sweet scent all winter long.
It takes more time and effort to force hyacinth bulbs to bloom inside because they require a lengthy chilling period in a dark location before growth begins.
Like paperwhites, they can be planted in potting mix or pebbles. They can also be simply set in forcing vases. To plant them in potting mix, set the bulbs on a few inches of moist potting mix in a pot with drainage holes and then cover them completely with more potting mix. After watering, move the pot to dark, cold spot (but above freezing) for ten to twelve weeks. The refrigerator is ideal unless you keep apples in it, too. Apples produce ethylene gas that destroys the bulb's flowers.
To force hyacinths in containers with pebbles, "plant" bulbs using the same method as paperwhites. Forcing jars should be filled with water to within a fraction of an inch of the base of the bulb before it is set in place. Move them to the refrigerator (or other cold, dark spot) for chilling. When shoots are two inches tall, move them into a cool location with low light. Gradually introduce them to brighter light over several days.
Plant some bulbs for blooms indoors to add color to cold and dreary winter days.
• Diana Stoll is a horticulturist, garden writer and speaker. She blogs at gardenwithdiana.com.