“Forcing” Indoor Bulbs: A Winter Window Garden
The spectacle of icicles hanging off of your roof that are taller and possibly wider than you are is a bit psychologically daunting. How can we infuse a bit of Summer into this multiple month tract nominated by some as The Winter Doldrums?
How about a lovely window garden? By experimenting with a process known as “forcing” bulbs, you could have yourself a little dish of Summer Flora…indoors!
Narcissus, hyacinth, and amaryllis are common varieties of bulbs suited for indoor planting/”forcing” in the cold months. You can begin by placing bulbs, root side down, into pots, and exposing to cold temperatures (50 or below) and no light. After roots begin to form, the pots can be moved to a sunny, southward facing window. However, I recently learned that Narcissus (daffodil) bulbs do not need to be pre-chilled.
A Leaning Window Narcissus…
Check out these great tips from the University of Minnesota Extension for forcing bulbs in soil, sand, and water.
