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Budget saving tips
Forcing Bulbs for Dummies Forcing bulbs is a not for the faint of heart—at least for most spring bulbs. They need between 12 and 16 weeks in the fridge (hyacinth and tulips, respectively), then potting up in a sunny window, and turned almost daily so that they don’t grow all floppy and sad… and no-one likes floppy and sad. I’m sorry, but I just can’t condone that kind of thing! Luckily, there is a better way. Some industrious garden centres get their hands on pre-conditioned bulbs—that’s right, you can just pick them up and pop ’em in—no fridge time needed. For bulbs like paper whites, you don’t even need soil. Pop them in a special bulb vase (or any container with some pebbles in the bottom), and make sure the base of the bulb just touches the water. As the bulb grows (which is as soon as it’s exposed to light for a while), the roots grow into the
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water, and the green shoots up out of the bulb; with flowers soon to follow. Ok, so you still need to turn them as they grow, and maybe tie them to a bit of left-over dogwood or some sort of sparkly thingy, but at least you’re growing something cheery in the dead of winter. Our houses are nice and warm, so paper whites grow very quickly (you can have blooms in as little as 4 weeks), and it’s a good idea to buy enough to stagger the plantings by a couple of weeks to give you a continuous supply of fresh flowers on your mantle. You won’t need the Glade Plug-Ins with these babies either—once the blooms open, the house will be filled with the scent of spring bulbs. And of course, don’t forget the ubiquitous grab-and-go amaryllis packages this time of year; they make a nice addition to a bottle of vino for your next hostess thank you.
Quick tip for houseplants—many tropicals suffer a bit through the dry of winter (much like our faces!). In general, if it has shiny, thin leaves (like palms, peace lilies, ginger etc.), throwing them in the shower for a quick rinse every couple of weeks will not only help freshen them up a bit, but help keep them free of typical indoor beasties like spider mites and scale. Again, like us, a happy, healthy plant fights disease better than an unhappy one! But a quick warning: lower light levels and cooler night temperatures mean slower growth, so don’t overwater your tropicals. Humidity is nice, but waterlogged soil will give you different beasties like fungus gnats and root rot. So let the soil dry between waterings (you should be able to feel moisture about an inch down before you water again), and your plants will find a happy balance.
When making wreaths, swags or outdoor arrangements, chop your leftover evergreens into little pieces (waste not, want not!), toss in a few cones and dried seed heads and a bag of coarse 5 spice from the Asian market down the road—and voila—instant potpourri. If you are lucky enough to have a wood-burning stove, pop the greens (like cedar, fir and pine pieces) into an antique pot and simmer for even more lovely holiday fragrance—try adding cinnamon bark, cloves, orange peel and ginger for the alluring fragrance of ginger bread and Christmas tree – without all the flour and sticky residue!