In cold winter months bring your plants in doors

Photo: Contributed

Amarylis and paperwhites are good plants to bloom indoors.

As the cold, dark winter months settle in and outdoor gardens lie dormant, indoor gardeners can find solace in two spectacular flowering plants that promise to brighten even the gloomiest days.

Plant Amaryllis and Paperwhite narcissis bulbs. These remarkable plants offer gardening enthusiasts a burst of colour and fragrance, transforming interior spaces into vibrant botanical displays with minimal effort and maximum visual impact.

Amaryllis, with its enormous, trumpet-shaped blooms, stands as a true winter showstopper. Native to South Africa and South America, these stunning plants have become a holiday season favourite, producing spectacular flowers that can reach up to eight inches in diameter. Their blooms come in a stunning array of colours, including deep crimson, bright red, pure white, soft pink and salmon, and there are even intricate bi-coloured varieties.

Your purchased bulbs will already have been subject to the period of dormancy necessary for bloom, so planting Amaryllis bulbs is a relatively simple process that can begin in late fall or early winter.

Choose a pot only slightly larger than the bulb itself, with good drainage. Fill the pot with well-draining potting soil, placing the bulb so its top third remains above the soil surface.

Water at time of planting and then sparingly until shoots begin to emerge, remembering that more often than not, bulbs appreciate a drier environment. Position the pot in a warm location with bright, indirect light.

Within six to eight weeks of planting, magnificent flowers will emerge, typically producing two to four large blooms on sturdy stems reaching 12 to 24 inches tall. Some varieties offer multiple flower stalks, creating an even more dramatic display.

To encourage repeated seasons of blooms, allow the foliage to remain after flowering as the leaves will continue to photosynthesize, providing nutrients to replenish the bulb’s energy. You can move your Amaryllis bulbs outdoors for the summer months, gradually reducing water as fall approaches to encourage dormancy. Store potted bulbs in a cool, dry location for eight to 10 weeks—without water— and then bring your Amaryllis back into the light and resume watering. New shoots should emerge and you will be rewarded with another season of exquisite blooms.

Paperwhites bulbs are in the Narcissus (Daffodil) family and offer a different but equally enchanting indoor gardening experience. These delicate, clustered white flowers produce an intoxicating fragrance that can fill an entire room.

Unlike Amaryllis, Paperwhites require no chilling period and can be easily forced to bloom indoors during winter months. Paperwhites can be grown using several methods: traditional soil planting, water and stone arrangements, or even hydroponically.

For a classic approach, use a shallow container filled with decorative stones or potting mix. Place bulbs closely together, allowing their pointed ends to protrude slightly above the surface. It’s okay to bunch the bulbs in your selected pot as they are visually more impressive planted in groupings.

Keep the growing medium moist but not waterlogged as waterlogged bulbs will be prone to rot. Within four to six weeks after planting, clusters of pure white, star-shaped flowers will emerge, creating a delicate display.

The sweet, musky fragrance freshens any room in which they are grown. While both Amaryllis and Paperwhites can be grown separately, they also complement each other beautifully in indoor displays.

Consider creating arrangements that showcase their different growth habits and flowering times. Amaryllis provide dramatic, large blooms, while Paperwhites offer delicate, clustered flowers. For both plants, maintain the room temperature between 15 C and 24 C, providing bright, indirect sunlight with bulbs sited away from any direct heat sources. Rotate your pots periodically to ensure even growth and use room-temperature water for hydration.

These winter-blooming bulbs carry deeper meanings beyond their aesthetic appeal. Amaryllis are believed to symbolizes pride, strength, and determination while Paperwhites represent hope, renewal, and the promise of spring.

Their ability to bloom during winter, serves as a powerful metaphor for resilience and beauty emerging even in challenging conditions.

Amaryllis and Paperwhites offer gardening enthusiasts a magical way to combat winter’s bleakness.

With minimal investment and care, these remarkable bulbs transform interior spaces into living works of art, providing colour, fragrance, and hope during the coldest months of the year.

Note, both of these plants are toxic to both dogs and cats so this should be taken into consideration if you share your household with furry members.

Visit our website at www.okanaganxeriscape.org to familiarize yourself with the many benefits of membership to the Okanagan Xeriscape Association and consider giving a membership as a gift to a loved one this holiday season.

The Okanagan Xeriscape Association is grateful for the ongoing financial support of the Okanagan Basin Water Board and is proud to be collaborating with them on the Make Water Work campaign. Check out their Make Water Work plant list at www.makewaterwork.ca.

Sigrie Kendrick is a master gardener and executive-director of the non-profit Okanagan Xeriscape Association.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.