Monday, November 14, 2011

Forcing Bulbs for Christmas

Hello everyone!  I am getting so excited to start my Christmas Decorations, but I will wait till after Thanksgiving.  In the mean time I have been "drawing" up my plans for this years decoration.  I have not forced bulbs in a few years, so I have made that part of my plan.  Back in September I bought both Paper Whites and Red Tulips to use this year.  The tulips have been in the fridge as they must chill or they will not bloom.  The Paper Whites do not require "chill" time.  Here is what I used to plant the Paper Whites.



A couple of glass containers, a couple bags of rocks and dyed moss, a open metal vase and of course the bag of Paper Whites.  This little project is also thrifty.  A bag of seven bulbs was $4.88, the rocks and moss where a couple of dollars each, the metal vase, a GW find, was a dollar as was the glass containers. I also used a couple of plastic grocery bags for the open vase. Very inexpensive for the "wow" factor they will deliver. Plus, the  price at the florist for forced bulbs being around $20 a bloom, this is a big bang for the buck!


As you can see my bulbs have already started to sprout.  For the glass containers I just put in about 3-4 inches of rocks the pushed a bulb a couple of inches into the rock then added water to just below this level.  Here is how they looked when I was done.


They already look pretty!  I will most likely add ribbon to dress it up later on. Planting in the open metal vase was a little messy, but still easy and will really be beautiful on the buffet in the dining room.


Here I just spread my red moss around the sides,  added two plastic bags to the middle then placed the bulbs close together.  They do like to be crowded.


Next I just added moss to the top and watered.


So easy!  One thing I learned from an elderly neighbor years ago was to water your bulbs with a mix of 7 parts water to 1 part white (rum, vodaka) alcohol.  This will stunt the growth of the stem, but not the flowers.  You will not have to worry about the Paper Whites falling over.  This does not effect the blooms.

If you have never forced blooms before I hope this makes you want  to give it a try - the will not disappoint!

I will be joining these fun parties:
 Susan for Met Monday
Erin for HomeMade Monday
Kristen for Tuesdays Treasures
Linda for Nifty Thrify Tuesday
Sherry for Open House

17 comments:

Babs said...

Thanks for reminding me to look again, for bulbs to force. I had looked two weeks ago for an amaryllis bulb, but couldn't find any at the garden center. I gave the tulips only a passing thought, since I wasn't looking for them. Maybe I'll try the paper whites and your "recipe" for keeping the stems short. Thanks and have a good week.

Shabby chic Sandy said...

I need to get busy and do this too!

AJ said...

Such a great idea, I'm definitely doing it this year (I also pinned this post to my Pinterest page)! I've never forced bulbs before, how long do tulips need to chill?

Debbiedoos said...

Cool! I have to tell you I love your counter tops too!

Veronica said...

Hi Toni. Thank you for stopping by my blog and your lovely comment! The garden is not mine but that of a friend and we are truly blessed to be able to enjoy it together. Great to meet you!

glad to see that you are enjoying blogging.

Blessings

Veronica

Chrissy said...

Oh I have not done this for years. Thanks for reminding me of a tradition my FIL used to do before he passed. I looking for some bulbs today.
I am visiting from Tuesday's Treasures and am now a follower

Heidi @ Decor & More said...

What timing! I just bought paperwhite bulbs yesterday and was about to research how to force them! So glad I decided to check out Tuesday's Treasures first. Thanks for the tips!

Jae said...

I've never planted paperwhites before and want to try it this year.

Anonymous said...

Forget those bulbs! I'm drooling all over your most gorgeous granite!
Thanks for popping in to see me.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Nancy's Notes said...

So happy I found your blog! You are on top of things with your bulbs! I'm like Shelia, love your granite!

Ingrid@morestylethancash said...

I just got all my hyacinths ready for forcing! I love paper whites and use to do them every year but my family dislikes the scent so I stopped.

Make sure you post lots of photos when the start to bloom so I can admire them from afar.

d e l i g h t said...

Very lovely! Mine look just about like yours. I love watching how much they grow each day. Thanks for visiting my blog!

The Charm of Home said...

I have just tried this for the first time with paperwhites and I blogged about it this week. I hope it works! Yours are looking good!
Sherry

Unknown said...

So pretty! I'm excited to know this tip, too!!! I'm excited to know of your place and to do a little exploring! I'm your newest follower!

Aimee @ ItsOverflowing.com

Upscale Downhome said...

This project has been on my to do list for several weeks. I appreciate all the little tips you added to make it easier. I did not know that tulips had to be chilled. Thanks for sharing!

A Cozy Cottage in the City said...

Wow, they look like they are going to be blooming beautifully for the holidays! :) Thank you for sharing! Thank you also for the kind comment on my blog - it is greatly appreciated. Have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs,
Jessie

Andrea said...

I adore Paperwhites for Christmas. This year I'm trying Hyacinths also.