Happy New Year 2012!

Happy New Year! I hope you all had wonderful holidays.

I know many of you enjoyed watching the Amaryllis bulb grow, and with that thought for the non-January meeting – it occurred to me - that perhaps you would like a small mid-winter challenge of trying to forced spring bulbs in a container or pot.

Myself, I had a windowsill of daffodils and hyacinths last winter. While the storms raged and I was laid up with a broken foot, needing some brightness, I enjoyed glorious spring color against the backdrop of a blizzard. So, if your missing the lack of a winter garden club meeting, here is an easy way for all of us to remain connected by bringing some color indoors during the winter months.

Forcing Spring Bulbs Indoors

Materials Needed

plastic pot

varieties of bulbs

bag of potting soil

sunny or bright spot

plant food (recommended, but not required)

First, different from the norm of yellow daffs and purple hyacinths, chose more short-stature, early blooming varieties of "angelique" tulips, white daffs, crocus, calla lily, lily of valley (white and pink!) and violets.

2. Check out the Seed and Bulb catalogues and/or visit the local Nurseries, Weston in Chelmsford, Mahoney’s I ( Tewksbury) and II (Chelmsford), even Lowes and Home Depot! Further fun, take a trip to Boylston MA and visit Tower Hill Botanical Garden’s Orangery and gift shop. Directions: 495 South, to Rte 190 Worcester, take 2^nd Exit Church Street/Boylston, bear right off exit, to end. Worth the trip!

3. Choose a plastic pot worthy of the amount of bulbs you plan to force and the area in your house where it will sit. If the pot is overly large, rather than fill with potting soil, add popcorns or blocks of styrofoam to fill ½ the container volume then add the potting soil. The pot will be lighter too! You will need a bag of potting soil and some plant food will give you a good start.

4. Arrange to have at least 3 layers of bulbs of different varieties for a great show of color, with at lease 1 inch of potting soil between each layer. Plant bulbs so they are nearly touching.

5. Top with soil, water thoroughly, and place in sunny or bright window. Soil should remain moist not wet, as the bulbs will rot if remain "wet". Watch the progress; they should be in bloom in 6-8 weeks.

If anyone does take on this challenge, please take photo’s of growth progress, and bloom. It will be a great "show and tell" project for our club meeting, plus the NGC President has a 2012-2013 "container project" and I would be please to have anyone of us, represent the club in this national project.

Enjoy the New Year