Home & Garden: Winter Fragrance

22.05.12

By Georgeanne Davis

The paperwhites that were part of my Christmas stocking loot are in full, perfect bloom right now, which means that they'll soon grow too leggy and unruly, but for now their starry white blossoms stand tall above the container. Paperwhites ( Narcissus papyraceus ), unlike other narcissus, don't require a chilling period before forcing, nor do they need soil. Just put the bulbs where their roots will be in water, and in about three weeks you'll be rewarded with blossoms.

To hold your paperwhites you'll need a waterproof container with no drainage holes that's at least five or six inches deep. This year I used a glazed flowerpot in pale sea green that nicely set off the pale flowers, but in the past I've used a clear glass fishbowl, a copper canister and even a basket lined with a large recycled tin can as a container. You can also use a large recycled olive oil tin. Whatever the container, fill it to within three inches of its rim with stones

Source: Freepress Online