Dreaming of a Paperwhite Christmas

“Tradition simply means that we need to end what began well and continue what is worth continuing.” – Jose Bergamin

Winter has set in here in Central Texas, but the chance of seeing any of that white stuff, outside anyway, is slim to none.  So, I decided I would just give myself a Paperwhite Christmas!  I am forcing bulbs, bought at my local home and garden store, in shallow containers inside at work and at home.  “Forcing” means growing bulbs inside and out of season to enjoy their blooms.  The classic Paperwhite are members of the Daffodil family and have vibrant snow-white, star-shaped petals with yellow stamens with a distinctive, sweet smell.  They have become almost as synonymous during the Christmas holidays as poinsettias.

Since Paperwhites will thrive in any planting medium, I decided to fill containers with rocks and pebbles, place the bulbs on top of the rocks and add enough water to come just above the roots of the bulbs.  Their green tips are now peeking out in anticipation of shooting upward to find warmth and light.

Paperwhites and Amaryllis are two bulbs that are easy to grow and force to bloom inside because the bulbs do not require a chilling process called vernalization, as most other bulbs do.  They originated in warmer climates and have adapted to flowering without this chilling process.  They only need heat and light to grow and reward you with beautiful flowers and fragrance indoors.  

Here is a general guide to forcing Paperwhites that I got from Ehow.com:

• Purchase healthy, high-quality paper-white bulbs, free of bruises or soft spots.  You can start forcing Paperwhites as soon as you can buy bulbs in fall, and continue planting every two weeks until you can no longer find quality bulbs - usually late winter to spring.
• Select a shallow dish.  The best size is 12 inches wide and 1 to 2 inches deep, but almost any size will do.
• Fill the dish with small pebbles or gravel.
• Cover the rocks with water.
• Place the bulbs in the dish, pointed side up, nestling the bottoms into the wet stones.
• Place the dish in a warm, well-lighted indoor location, such as a sunny window.  Keep the stones constantly wet.  Paperwhites usually bloom in about six weeks.
• After blooming, if the soil is not frozen, plant the bulbs outdoors and keep them moist.

I still have one bag of bulbs left to plant.  I like to stagger plantings so I have a longer period of time with flowers to enjoy.  And the next planting is just in time for my granddaughters visit this weekend.  Hopefully engaging her help in the process will plant a seed of  tradition in her heart that will someday, as Christmas seasons come and go,  grow a desire to carry on the customs of old as well as bloom with new and fresh petals of tradition.

In my home, the practice of forcing Paperwhites has taken its place among the many Christmas traditions carried down in my family over the generations.  I just love the way they look, so simple….kind of the way Christmas should be…

“Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.” - 1 Corinthians 11:2