Check out our latest magazine... Read Online

Planting Potted Indoor Bulbs to Brighten up Winter

The shorter days are here, but a succession of potted indoor bulbs will give your home colour and cheer throughout winter.

When planting bulbs for indoor displays, choose the containers carefully – they’ll be on show just as much as their contents. Don’t limit yourself to conventional flowerpots. Flea markets and charity shops are great hunting grounds for quirky containers; search out vintage ceramic bowls, teacups and tureens – even forlorn teapots with missing lids can be repurposed!

Note the potential height of the bulbs. Larger and taller plants require bigger containers – for aesthetic appearance and also practical stability. Some containers aren’t reliably watertight. Use glazed saucers and protective mats on vulnerable surfaces, or group several containers together on a waterproof tray. Top-dressing the soil with coloured gravel gives a sleek, contemporary look, or use moss or chipped bark to create a rustic theme. Heavy-headed hyacinths and tall narcissi will require support from bamboo canes or twigs.

If the container has drainage holes, use ordinary multi-purpose potting compost, adding a handful of grit to aid drainage. For those without holes, bulb fibre is preferable. This super-absorbent material is made from shredded coir and wood. It provides a uniformly moist growing medium that prevents water ‘pooling’ around the bulbs and damaging the roots.

Some bulb packets, (typically narcissi and hyacinths) are labelled, ‘prepared’. This means the bulbs have been artificially subjected to a period of cold in an industrial chiller. Pre-chilling manipulates the growth cycle; the bulbs think winter has already occurred and start into rapid ‘springtime’ growth when planted. Prepared bulbs will reliably flower around Christmas time. They’re expensive, but don’t assume you can save money by purchasing standard bulbs and administering the cold treatment yourself. A domestic fridge has a damp atmosphere and the bulbs will probably rot. There’s nothing worse than the stench of rotting bulbs – the aroma lingers for days. Trust me…

With forward planning, you can have a succession of bulbs from December through to April. Following on from the ‘prepared’ types, choose narcissi that are naturally early to flower. Try ‘Cragford’, ‘Soleil D’or’, ‘Avalanche’ and the aptly-named ‘Erlicheer’ for colour throughout January and February. For later blooms, ‘Silver Chimes’, ‘Cheerfulness’ and the gorgeous, but stupidly-named ‘Geranium’ extend the season to Easter and beyond.

Tiny containers will hold enough soil for a cyclamen corm, or a few muscari, snowdrop or crocus bulbs. These dainty spring beauties cannot easily be forced. Once potted, keep them outside in a sheltered spot and bring indoors when they are on the point of flowering.

An indoor environment is challenging for spring bulbs, but they’ll stoically cope, so long as they’re kept away from direct heat sources. After flowering, take them outside and feed with a general-purpose fertiliser. When the foliage has died down, they can be planted out into a border, where they will continue to provide colour for years to come.

More from Home and Gardens

  • Blooming Times: Winter Sparklers

    From designer florists to petrol station forecourts, cyclamen are everywhere at this time of year. They are uniquely different to other flowers – yet have become so ubiquitous, we’re in danger of forgetting how extraordinary they are, says Flo Whitaker

  • Blooming Times: Winter Wonders

    Flowering in the coldest months may seem counter- intuitive, but from a plant’s perspective, there is a distinct advantage – a lack of competition. Flo Whitaker picks six of the best winter- scented shrubs

  • Blooming Times: The Answer Lies in the Soil

    Soil is the gardener’s greatest asset. Understand it, look after it – and many of your horticultural problems will resolve themselves, writes Flo Whitaker

  • How to Cover Up Shabby Garden Walls and Fences

    If your garden fences or walls are looking a bit shabby it might be time to find a cover up solution. Read on for Sara Whatley’s transformation ideas.

  • Homes Extra: Shed Space

    Are you thinking of a new shed, greenhouse or garden room? Sara Whatley gives you some food for thought on all three

  • Gardening: Choose a Clematis for Every Month of the Year

    The clematis family offers flowers in a wide array of colours and shapes, and there are varieties for nearly every month of the year, says Flo Whitaker

  • Blooming Times: Top of the Pots

    How are your patio pots? Show-stopping, or lacklustre? Time to try some different planting combinations, suggests Flo Whitaker

  • Kids Zone: Get the Kids Growing

    Read on for some green fingered ideas to get the kids involved in the garden from Sara Whatley

  • Blooming Times: Wisteria Hysteria

    With its exquisitely fragrant, show-stopping blooms, wisteria is the queen of spring climbers – yet it can be frustratingly sulky and thuggish. Flo Whitaker offers a quick troubleshooting guide to floral success

  • Blooming Times: Dahlia Mania

    Inexpensive, hardworking plants with blooms in a vast array of colours and shapes - no flower is perfect, but dahlias come pretty close, says Flo Whitaker

  • How to Create 3D Walls in Your Home

    Create walls that look incredible and feel amazing too with the use of 3D wall panels. Sara Whatley looks at this feature wall phenomenon.

  • Blooming Times: Spring Fever

    February is often labelled the cruellest month in the horticultural calendar. However, Flo Whitaker suggests there is still plenty of opportunity for growth

  • Blooming Times: What's in a Name?

    Botanical Latin may seem daunting, but it’s designed to be helpful and informative, says Flo Whitaker

  • Top 10 Garden Birds to Spot on the Isle of Wight

    Alice Johnson from the RSPB describes some of the species of birds you might see during the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch this January.

  • The Best Christmas Gifts for Gardeners

    Thinking about a Christmas present for a gardening friend? Or perhaps you’re anticipating a gardening gift voucher and fancy treating yourself? Flo Whitaker suggests some essential hand tools that won’t break the bank.

  • Gardening: The Benefits of Hedges

    Gardeners are a flower-obsessed lot, greedily seeking out the latest, brightest blooms. That’s all very well, but ephemeral flowers need a stage to perform on. Plant a hedge - they add structure, benefit wildlife and look good all year round.

  • How to Create a Happy Home Workspace

    Getting the right home office set up can be key to productivity and happiness. Sara Whatley shares her workspace ideas.

  • Now's the Time to Plant Alliums for a Spectacular Display Next Year

    Easy-going and beloved by bees – now’s the perfect time to plant allium bulbs for a spectacular display next year. Flo Whitaker picks some of her favourites...

  • Gardening Facts or Fictions?!

    The horticultural world abounds with bad advice and old wife’s tales, but some pronouncements are scientifically sound, says Flo Whitaker, as she asks, “True, or false?”

  • Fill The Gaps in Your Garden With Stunning Shrubs

    If your garden’s looking parched and bare, why not invest in a few shrubs to fill the gaps. Flo Whitaker picks six of the best for late summer colour.

Get Social