Bulbs for indoors
A fabulous Christmas gift or simply a plant to enjoy, there's a great selection of bulbs that provide flower and fragrance in the home!
Hyacinths for Christmas
For Christmas-flowering Hyacinths, buy prepared bulbs. These bulbs have undergone a period of cold temperature to 'quick-forward' the growing season.
- Plant with bulb fibre in a bowl, or grow the bulb in water and see the roots develop too!
- Encourage growth by continuing to mimic natural conditions - place the bulb in a dark place until the bulb is 4-5cm high
- Provide sufficient water but ensure that the bulb is never water-logged
- Control the rate of growth with temperature - cooler conditions slow growth, too much heat will result in a lanky, floppy plant
- Continue to care for the bulb after flowering until the leaves die off naturally allowing it to rebuild the infrastructure and food store it needs for next season
Pretty Paperwhites
One of our most popular indoor bulbs producing lots of flowers with fabulous scent.
- Unlike the hyacinths, Paperwhites do not require a cool dark period and once planted can be placed in a warm place
- They will begin growing once water is provided and usually flower about 6-10 weeks later
- It is sometimes necessary to provide support once they flower as they can be top heavy
- As with all bulbs, allow the leaves to die back naturally to rebuild the 'stores' for next season
Amazing Amaryllis
These incredible bulbs produce some of the most spectacular flowers- a real 'wow'!
- The price of the bulb varies depending on the size of the bulb and its variety
- Larger bulbs will tend to produce multiple stems and blooms
- Amaryllis cannot withstand British winters - they can be grown in their pots outdoors during summer but must be brought indoors when the temperature falls
- Create a period of dormancy at the end of summer to replicate its natural conditions, allow the leaves to die back naturally and encourage it to flower once again
- The bulb will increase in size every year, and will need to be re-potted every 2-3 years
Other options
Because bulbs really only require water to produce growth, there's a lot of different options to try if you fancy growing bulbs indoors. You'll need to take into account any natural 'triggers' that the bulb might need (such as the dark period for prepared Hyacinths), but if you fancy experimenting, there's endless possibilities!