Forcing Bulbs

Confession:  About this time of the year I get the winter blues.  I just get so tired of endless cold days and cloudy skies, staying inside and chilly feet.  I get antsy and cranky.  So I look for ways to brighten up the gray in my life.  One of the ways I do that is by forcing bulbs.

Photos Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

 Have you ever forced bulbs for some spring color?  Its not as daunting a task as it sounds.  It is a great way to add color and sweet fragrance to a dreary winter day!

You can buy bulbs at any garden store.  Bulbs that work best for forcing are amaryllis, hyacinths, miniature daffodils, paperwhites and tulips.  The bigger the bulb, the more flowers you get.  You can put them in potting mix and cover them with a light sprinkling of soil, or you can buy special bulb-forcing glasses available at any garden center.

 Bulbs need to be chilled for a specific time period.  You can set them in a cold utility room or garage, or if they are small enough and you have the storage space, the refrigerator is the perfect temperature.  They need between six and eight weeks of chill time, less for smaller bulbs.  So if you start now you can have lovely bulbs just in time for Easter.

A little bit of springtime chases the clouds away!!!

~Amber