Transform your home with the vibrant colours and scents of spring this festive season by forcing bulbs to bloom for Christmas and New Year. From fragrant paperwhite daffodils to dramatic amaryllis, these specially treated plants can become a living part of your holiday decor.
How to Control Your Bulbs' Flowering Time
According to Alex Swyer from RHS Garden Wisley, many bulbs sold in supermarkets and garden centres have been 'forced'. This process involves a cold treatment that tricks the bulbs into believing winter has passed, prompting them to flower earlier than nature intended.
To enjoy blooms precisely for Christmas Day, you may need to delay their progress. If purchased in early December, place potted bulbs in a cool, frost-free location like a garage, shed, or cold greenhouse. Swyer suggests using a black bin bag with air holes if keeping them in a covered, shady spot outside.
Conversely, warmth speeds up flowering. To make your displays last throughout the holidays, avoid placing pots near radiators, open fires, or other direct heat sources.
Planting and Care Advice for Lasting Displays
When re-potting, use a well-draining medium like bulb fibre or mix bark chips into standard compost. Bulbs require minimal watering, roughly once a week. Alex Swyer advises, "If you are transplanting the bulb to another container, bury it by no more than half the bulb's height." He notes you can disguise exposed bulbs with moss or festive decorations.
Three Seasonal Favourites and How to Grow Them
Emma Fell of Hillier Garden Centres shares specific guidance for popular Christmas varieties.
Paperwhite Daffodils: "Paperwhite daffodils are ideal – they're easy to grow, bloom quickly (often in as little as four weeks) and fill your home with their sweet fragrance," says Fell. They can be grown in free-draining compost or simply on pebbles in a shallow container with water just touching the base. Keep them in bright, indirect light and a cool room to prolong the blooms.
Hyacinths: Plant in well-draining compost in a cool, bright spot to encourage sturdy stems, keeping soil lightly moist. Once shoots appear, provide bright, indirect light and rotate the pot for straight growth. Flowers last up to two weeks. After flowering, let the foliage die back naturally; bulbs can then be planted outdoors to return the following spring.
Amaryllis (Hippeastrums): "Amaryllis are the ultimate showstoppers for Christmas," Fell states. Place by a bright, sunny window and expect spectacular blooms in about six weeks. Water sparingly until the flower stem appears, then increase as the bud develops. Tall stems may need support. After flowering, keep leaves growing to help the bulb recharge for next year.
With careful timing and simple care, these forced bulbs can provide a beautiful, natural centrepiece for your festive celebrations.
