February in Bloom

Elisabeth — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:17:00 GMT

There are times when it seems that all the trouble that I take cultivating indoor plants is not worth it. Then there are times like yesterday. I walked into my dining room--which doubles as a conservatory in the winter months--and there were not only blooms, but good smells. I was inspired.

My newest African violet was blooming like crazy and the climbing hibiscus that lives outdoors in the summer was sporting a big, yellow, hollyhock-like flower. 'Grand Soleil D'or', a narcissus that can be forced like a paperwhite, finally produced seven or eight extremely fragrant blossoms, and they were worth the ten week wait. Each small daffodil-like bloom has an orange cup and soft yellow petals. The handful of flowers from one bulb is enough to perfume a ten by twelve room. What's more, the scent is sweet, not at all like the fragrance of the common 'Ziva' paperwhite, which some people find objectionable.

Last year's amaryllis bulbs, which I brought up from the cellar around Thanksgiving, will bloom over the course of the next few days. Of course, they have no scent, but they are a stunning sight anyway.

Some of us force bulbs and tend flowering plants. Others buy bouquets at the supermarket. Either way, there is nothing as wonderful at this time of year than a house or apartment full of flowers.

Indoor Bulbs

Elisabeth — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 21:15:00 GMT

Famed naturalistic physician and longevity expert Dr. Andrew Weil has long advocated surrounding yourself with flowers to help foster overall wellness. Like my mother and father before me, I follow that advice. This gets harder in the winter, especially if you don't have a fortune at your disposal. I use garden flowers for as long as they are available, and default to greens, rose hips and other dried material to tide myself over at the end of the season.

Greens and dried material are much better than nothing, but I think that it's also important to have something with blossoms on it. That's why I ordered a quantity of paperwhites last month. Today I potted up the twenty-five bulbs and put them on top of my microwave oven, which sits under a west-facing window. The five separate varieties now reside in two large pots and another smaller one. With luck the buds will open at slightly different rates, providing several weeks of sweetly scented white and yellow blossoms. Unlike other narcissus, hyacinth and tulips that need pre-chilling before they can bloom indoors, paperwhites arrive ready for planting. They are so little trouble that I wonder why more people don't invest in them every year.

While the paperwhites are sprouting, other plants will provide life and color. A potted anthurium that has spent the late spring, summer and early fall outside is just unfurling its lipstick-red flowers, and it looks like my Christmas cactus will actually be a pre-Thanksgiving cactus this year. If I get into dire straits in between the bloom cycles of various plants, I can always spend a few dollars for some inexpensive African violets. The lift they give me is more than worth the small cash outlay.

Growing Wise : paperwhites

February in Bloom

Indoor Bulbs