Bulbs to brighten winter

Forced bulbs provide indoor colour and scent, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

AS well as planting spring bulbs in the garden, it’s time to plant some forced bulbs indoors for Christmas and New Year.

Several varieties, including hyacinths, amaryllis (or Hippeastrum) and Narcissus ‘Paper White’ are all available and if started now should be in flower for Christmas, several weeks before garden bulbs have started to bloom.

Not all bulbs are suitable for this early ‘forcing’. The ones to buy should be labelled ‘prepared bulbs’, which means they have been briefly stored below freezing in the summer so they think they have already experienced winter and come into flower earlier.

You need to pot them up in bulb fibre, which is very free-draining so the bulbs don’t rot, then seal their pot in a drawer or black bin liner.