South Carolina offers the joy of four beautiful seasons. As summer ends, the cool, fall weather changes every leaf into a flower. Winter brings snow that melts in a few days. Then, spring bursts into blooms.
There is still time to plant bulbs outdoors in the ground for spring blooms. Select bulbs that are firm. Check depth when planting outdoors.
Forcing spring bulbs in an indoor rock garden can brighten late winter days. “Forcing” spring bulbs encourages the plants to bloom indoors earlier in spring than they would normally flower outdoors. Daffodils, tulips and narcissus are just a few varieties of bulbs that force well. The forced bulbs provide indoor beauty and require little care in order to thrive throughout the flowering period.
- Fill a shallow dish with clean pebbles or floral marbles. Use a dish that is deep enough to hold approximately a 2-inch layer of pebbles.
- Set the bulbs in the pebbles with the flat side down. Push the bulbs into the pebbles just deep enough to hold them upright. Space bulbs approximately 1 inch apart in the dish.
- Add water to the dish until the water just touches the bottom of the bulb. Set the dish in a cool, dark room until the stems begin to emerge. I set my bulbs in the garage with a box over them until the green stems begin to emerge.
- Move the dish to a warm, sunny windowsill when stem growth begins. Replenish the water in the dish to maintain the level as it is used or evaporates.
