FORCING PAPERWHITES
One February I received a kit for bulb forcing. It was such
a gray February that I immediately filled the little container with water and
put it in my kitchen window. The green container showed so much promise. It was
a lovely crackled glass. It sparkled brightly in the afternoon sun. The bulb
sat there like royalty on a throne. It was thirsty and I watered it everyday.
First thing in the morning right after coffee, water the green throne and
inspect the bulb for a green shoot.
It wasn’t long, on the grayest of days, a green tip appeared
on the end of the bulb. The tiny promise of something alive was growing during
February, not the easiest of months to survive, much less show real life in my
kitchen. This apparition of green made me so happy. I could hold out until
spring, maybe February is just a state of mind, and something over the counter
will help me get past it. There is after all a green tip in my window. I could
hardly wait. Hurrah! Hurrah!
The tip grew bigger. Finally leaves appeared. Then miracles
of miracles a bloom appeared. It was white a pure color, really promising,
things were looking up. The day the bloom opened, I had to wait days for the
bloom to open, it revealed itself. It was a paperwhite. Every gardener will
tell you about paperwhites. They will bloom in water and they will encourage a
beginner bulb forcer to explore the world of bulb forcing. But what they don’t
bother to mention, is the paperwhite in full bloom smells like something has
died in your kitchen, and no amount of beauty will compensate for the smell
they generate. It was just a botanical trick, something dead in February.
BULB FORCING VASE
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