Paperwhite bulbs can be grown in soil, but it is more common to plant them in a glass container with a layer of pebbles to keep them from falling over. This creates a lovely botanically inspired look, as the bulbs and roots are also on display alongside the flowers.
If you know how to force bulbs indoors, you can bring a slew of these fragrant flowers into your home just in time for the holidays. Try doing them every other week all the way through spring.
Paperwhite narcissus are widely available from autumn to late winter, making them a top choice for a spring bulb. Bulbs only have a short storage life of a few months before they start to deteriorate. As a result, you shouldn’t buy your bulbs too far in advance of your planned bulb planting session.
The Land Gardeners, also known as Henrietta Courtauld and Bridget Elworth, say, “Our favorite winter bulb is the paperwhite” (opens in new tab). We stock up on about 500 bulbs by making a bulk purchase in the early fall. This may seem excessive at first, but considering that you can expect to use them throughout the entire winter, it actually works out to be a very economical way to ensure that you have access to gorgeous blooms all season long. We really like paperwhites because you can either plant the bulbs in soil or just stick them in a glass with some water and they’ll bloom about three weeks later.
If you follow our simple step-by-step guide on how to grow paperwhites in a jar, you’ll have a Christmas plant that will bloom for weeks and fill your home with a pleasant scent.