Paperwhites for the Holidays: The Easiest Bulb You'll Ever Force

Paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus) are a holiday classic: slim green stems crowned with clusters of small white, fragrant flowers. If you'd like them blooming on your windowsill or dining table by Christmastime, now is the time to get them planted. Paperwhites usually flower four to six weeks after planting, so a mid-November start lands them right on time. Timing is really the only trick. They need no chilling, no special equipment and no green thumb, just bulbs, a container and a few minutes.

Choosing your bulbs
Most garden centers carry a few varieties, and the main differences are height and scent. You can find them at Home Depot, a local nursery, Amazon, or White Flower Farm.

Ziva: The classic, and the easiest to find. It grows tall (12 to 20 inches), flowers quickly and has a strong, musky perfume that some people love and others find overpowering.

Inbal: The pick if you're sensitive to scent. Its creamy blooms are larger and only lightly fragrant, and its sturdy 12- to 16-inch stems are less prone to flopping.

Nir: A compact choice at 6 to 12 inches, good for a mantel or side table, with generous flowers and a gentler fragrance than Ziva.

Whichever you choose, look for bulbs that are firm and plump.

What you'll need

-Paperwhite bulbs, as many as will fit snugly in your container
-A container: a terracotta pot, a glass hurricane or a low bowl
-Potting soil, or pebbles, gravel or glass beads
-Sheet moss for finishing (optional)
-Water

Option one: a pot with soil
Fill a pot about two-thirds full with potting soil. Set the bulbs on top, pointed ends up, packed in so they nearly touch. Crowded bulbs lean on one another and help hold each other up as they grow. Add soil around them, leaving the top third of each bulb exposed. Water well, then keep the soil lightly moist. This is the classic method, and it gives the plants the steadiest footing.

Option two: a glass hurricane or low bowl with stones
This is where paperwhites really shine. Spread about two inches of pebbles, gravel or glass beads in the bottom of a glass hurricane or shallow bowl. Nestle the bulbs in, pointed ends up, and tuck more stones around them to hold them steady. Add water until it just touches the base of the bulbs. Do not submerge them in water, or they may rot. In glass, you'll see the white roots wind down through the stones; whether that's a feature or a distraction is up to you. A tall hurricane has a practical advantage, too: its sides help hold the stems up as they stretch.

Finishing touches

You can tuck a layer of sheet moss over the soil or stones, such as this one, for a professional look. You can also plant several small containers to give as hostess gifts throughout the season.

Care tips

-Keep the containers somewhere cool and bright. Too much warmth makes the stems leggy.
-Check the water every few days and top it up so it reaches the roots.
-A handy trick: once the shoots are a couple of inches tall, swap the water for a mix of about one part vodka or gin to seven parts water. Research at Cornell found this stunts stem growth a little, giving shorter, sturdier plants that are less likely to flop.
-Once the stems reach 8 to 10 inches, give them some support. A bulb ring works, or simply push a few bamboo or wooden stakes discreetly around the edge of the container and loosely corral the stems with twine or a festive ribbon.
-For blooms through the holidays and into winter, plant a new batch every two weeks through January.

That's it! Plant this week or weekend and you'll have a burst of white flowers in time for your holiday gatherings. It takes about ten minutes, and it's hard to get wrong.