One of my favorite things to do in the winter is to grow paperwhites inside....I have always loved the fragrance because it takes me right back to a wonderful time in my young life...as a girl, I used to play in my Grandmother Lewis's yard...she had a huge flower garden and I played with the flowers...yes, I know, that seems strange but...it suited me to a tee....In the winter, there were hundreds of paperwhites (narcissus) blooming all over her yard...there was no way to pick them all but I tried....I would gather a bunch of them and smash them against my face trying to get every little bit of fragrance out of them....they are truly one of the heirloom flowers of the south...I now live a little bit too far north to have them in my yard but every Christmas season, I get some and force them to bloom inside.....
I used to grow them in potting soil but have been using pebbles for the last few years...I like seeing the roots....and it's easier to know when they need watering.....there are no blooms yet, just buds...but it doesn't take long once I add water to the pebbles. I planted these about a week ago.....
Just wanted to share these with you now because there is still time to buy some and get them to bloom inside this winter....if you can find some at your local nursery....
Are there fragrances that bring back good memories for you? something that reminds you of your grandmother and her love? Paperwhites will always mean so much more to me than just a flower...they remind me of my beloved South Georgia where I grew up and mostly of my grandmother's wonderful flowers.....
I remember your grandmother's garden, but mostly for the daylilies. I am sorry that I missed the paperwhites! I used to force bulbs in the winter, but I have not thought of doing it for years. Mona, you always inspire me!!
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother's garden was filled with gladiolas. I never will forget them. They grew so tall she had wooden stakes to hold them up.
ReplyDeleteI love narcissus and jonquils....my favorites!
I've never tried growing paperwhites. I've thought about it but never got around to it. I've grown Amaryllis.
ReplyDeleteWe have lots of iris in our gardens, from J's Aunt Ruth. My grandmother had lots of hollyhocks. I imagined them as ballerinas.
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