SPRING IN BLOOM BULBS BRING FRESH COLOR, FRAGRANCE INDOORS WHILE IT'S STILL CHILLY OUTDOORS.Byline: Sandra Barrera Staff Writer When it comes to wintertime blooms, people often prefer filling their homes with a little bit of springtime. Hyacinths, amaryllis amaryllis (ăm'ərĭl`ĭs), common name for some members of the Amaryllidaceae, a family of mostly perennial plants with narrow, flat leaves and with lilylike flowers borne on separate, leafless stalks. and paperwhite narcissus Narcissus, in the Bible Narcissus (närsĭs`əs), in the New Testament, Roman whose household was partly Christian. Narcissus, in Roman history Narcissus, d. A.D. are the most popular among the bulbs forced into early bloom indoors. They have showy show·y adj. show·i·er, show·i·est 1. Making an imposing or aesthetically pleasing display; striking: showy flowers. 2. , colorful petals and delicious fragrance, says Dale ``Dallas'' Brown, a senior salesperson at Green Thumb Nursery in Canoga Park. Some bulbs, such as the hyacinth Hyacinth, in Greek mythology Hyacinth (hī`əsĭnth) or Hyacinthus (hīəsĭn`thəs), in Greek mythology, beautiful youth loved by Apollo. , have added significance as a symbol of the new year in the Persian culture. If given the right conditions, you can have colorful blooms indoors well into spring, when bulbs typically flower outdoors. ``Everybody wants bulbs, because it fills up that space that's gone dormant Latent; inactive; silent. That which is dormant is not used, asserted, or enforced. A dormant partner is a member of a partnership who has a financial interest yet is silent, in that he or she takes no control over the business. for the winter,'' says Virginia Davis, a master gardener from North Hills. And that's true of any bulb, from the easy-to-grow daffodil daffodil: see amaryllis. daffodil Bulb-forming flowering plant (Narcissus pseudonarcissus), also called common daffodil or trumpet narcissus, native to northern Europe and widely cultivated there and in North America. It grows to about 16 in. and crocus to you-name-it. ``There's a whole boat-load of French narcissus that I can say but I can't spell,'' says Brown. ``They're naturalizers, meaning they multiply in the ground. And they're fragrant fra·grant adj. Having a pleasant odor. [Middle English, from Latin fr  gr . Any fragrant bulb can be used indoors.'' The keys to long-lasting blooms are light, moisture and temperature. ``The warmer it is, the less time they will last,'' Brown says, adding a comfortable 70 degrees would be optimum. It takes bulbs about six weeks to bloom. But indoor gardeners should take note: Not all bulbs are grown under the same conditions. For example, amaryllis bulbs are placed in a container with water, but the bulb should be placed on glass marbles above the water. Hyacinths, crocus and narcissus can be forced in water. Special bulb bases are designed for hyacinth and crocus. And the paperwhite narcissus grows in traditional potting soil or in a shallow pan of water with crushed rocks. CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) INDOOR FLORA Brings spring color into your home - even in winter (2 -- 4 -- color) With proper care, hyacinth, above, paperwhite narcissus, left, and crocus bulbs, far left, will grow well inside your home. |
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