Forcing Flower Bulbs for Winter Blooming

By housing your bulbs in a pretty planter, you can create an eye-pleasing decoration

Trick your bulbs into blooming this winter and decorote your home at the same time

Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you can force one! Forcing flower bulbs simply means to trick the bulb into thinking winter is over and it’s time to bloom forth.

To do so, you need to plant and keep the bulb inside, where it’s warm. Forced bulbs in pretty containers make wonderful hostess gifts or tabletop centrepieces.

Forced Bulb Fanciness

There are lots of indoor potted bulb kits on the market including pot, soil, bulb and instructions. These are great for beginners, but oftentimes you’ll want to replace the plastic pot provided with one with more style or substance, such as the vintage ceramic planter shown. Give a friend a kit or better yet, plant up the bulb and get it started as part of the gift.

Florist shops also sell forced bulbs such as hyacinths and amaryllis already blooming or nearing bloom. Again, if the pot is unattractive you can always carefully repot these bulbs prior to presenting them as gifts. Use a terracotta pot, add a layer of moss and a raffia ribbon for an eclectic look.

Or, simply buy dormant bulbs designed to force yourself from scratch. You’ll find them readily available at garden shops with instructions for each bulb.

Simply place in water, soil or pebbles inside a pretty container and wait for the bloom.