pickled paperwhites

I mentioned them earlier, but I thought I might give a shout-out to my paperwhites on Thankful Thursday, because even though Toby's been waking me up at ungodly hours (grumble, grumble), they're a cheerful presence in my kitchen.

Here, in the land of sunshine, trees are perennially leafy and the garden blooms year 'round. So yeah, I'm spoiled in that regard. But even if you live in a much harsher climate, you can grow flowers in your kitchen window. Amaryllis are big and showy, but I prefer delicate paperwhites. They're known for their peppery fragrance and prolific, long-lasting blooms–a perfect antidote for the post-holiday drearies, I think. So if you're looking past Christmas to lots of wooly-grey weather,  this might just be the perfect gift, for yourself and/or that Special Someone…

Growing paperwhites is super-easy. You can plant them anytime, in almost any kind of container imaginable. You don't have to chill them, and they don't require good drainage. Just burrow the butt end of the bulb into a bed of stones, add water, and let your babies nap in a dark room for about a week. Roots develop during this hibernation period, and the stems grow about 2 or so inches. When the roots and new growth are established, you place them in a window sill, and voilà! Three to four weeks later, this is what they'll look like:

(I think I'll use a darker, smoother stone next time. Or maybe marbles,–wouldn't that be fun?)

Something new I tried this year: Pickled Paperwhites, a technique that involves feeding your bulbs a dilute cocktail of alcohol and water. (The ratio varies, based on the spirits you choose. I chose vodka because it's odorless.)  This turns them into lushes stunts the stem growth, thus preventing the heavy blossoms from toppling over. 

Toby gives them his seal of approval.

Start yours now, and they'll brighten your windowsill in late January, when you're searching for those earliest signs of spring.