Paper Whites

While I was browsing the collection of succulents at my local nursery, the patient woman who sells me a new basil plant every other week pointed me toward the Paper White bulbs they just got in. Paper Whites are perfect to plant between September-November, grow indoors and are a lovely and incredibly fragrant flower once they bloom, which should be around Christmas. I bought a few bulbs for under a dollar each to plant and give out once the flowers blossom.

I thought I'd share the few simple steps it takes to plant them:

Start with a Paper White bulb, some potting gravel and a shallow dish without a drain hole. I used decorative red rock from the garden store, a planting tin I picked up at Ikea and some gravel I hand-picked from our driveway. A tin can or old mason jar would also be fun to plant in!

Fill your container halfway up with gravel and nestle the bulb pointy-end down into the rocks. Fill with enough water for it to barely reach the top of the rocks, maybe a little less. (You just want the bottom of the bulb to be able to reach the water and start to root.)

 

Fill the rest of your container with gravel. I topped mine off with some bigger rocks because I thought it looked a bit nicer. Place the dish in a dark place for about a week or so, watering every so often to keep the bulb from drying out. When sprouts begin to grow, place the dish into bright light and watch beautiful, white flowers begin to bloom!

I can't wait to see some blooms on my dresser!