Home

[Oznell]

One of my favorite sites, "Glam Pad", displayed how different people force bulbs so that they will have them for the Christmas holidays.  They are so fresh-looking.  The ultimate in holiday decor...

Maybe my favorite way of seeing them is in plain, rustic terra cotta pots--

But forced bulbs do look wonderful in old blue and white porcelain, almost like they're in a painting:

Really, any way they come, they lend such a festive note, don't they?  Hey, what is Santa getting into?

Some of my terra cotta pots are *almost* this well-aged and broken in--

Apple mulch?

Love the way the green goblets echo the green of the stems...

So pretty below, could be in a movie...

The beauty of simplicity-- this room below is quietly ravishing....

Speaking of growing things, hubby took a picture of our Christmas cactus in the upstairs bathroom, and emailed it to me, so I can post here.  See the jagged edged leaves?  I found out that's characteristic of "Thanksgiving cactus".

(We have to keep it in that bathroom b/c one of our cats, naughty little nineteen year old Sibyl, wants to nibble on it and then throw up the bright red petals....  She can't really manage stairs anymore, so it's now safe from her tiny teeth...)

It took us awhile to figure out our plant is really a "Thanksgiving cactus", since it starts blooming in October, and keeps going.

I read that Thanksgiving cacti have leaves with sharper, serrated edges, while the Christmas ones have smoother edged leaves.  There is a type that blooms in spring, and of course it is called--- "Easter cactus".   

I guess some like to disregard the boundaries of when they can bloom....  If you have one, when do you get the most bloom?

[chessylady]

Last month, I bought a big bag of paperwhite bulbs from Costco. They are still in my fridge. First we had rain, now it is cold. But Your post made me want to get them potted up.

[Queen of shop]

@Oznell  I had a wonderful Aunt from Pennsylvania that was gaga for her paperwhites. She kept them in an extra bedroom closet and would then start taking them out to "force" them to bloom. Her paperwhites were super old but they still bloomed for her.

She is long gone and I still miss her. She had a knack with Amaryllis too.

Thanks for a very nice memory.

[Q-Checker]

I love these paper whites, but there is way too much "stuff"around them in most of the pictures. I think that they can stand alone in their beauty. But, then, I am a long  time believer that less is more when it comes to decor. True Confession: I am  a minimalist when it comes to decor.

[CarolinaGirl88]

So many beautiful shots here! I love the paperwhites. I've only had them once, years ago. Your cactus looks great! Mine usually blooms between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Last year it never bloomed at all. No idea why. This year it bloomed early. It was at its peak around Veterans' Day and is just about done now, but it was gorgeous. 

[Desertdi]

@Oznell 

My dad always forced bulbs to bloom indoors at the winter holidays!   

I also think a lot depends on your climate zone.     di

[Carolina925]

I love forcing paperwhites in my house for Christmas but unfortunately I usually wait too long to start them. They make my home smell heavenly. Going out today so will be on a search however I may be too late since Christmas is so close now. Mine in the yard have started popping up since we had a freeze already, then moving to 80 degrees the past couple of weeks. Happy little flowers. Thanks, @Oznell , for posting your always beautiful pictures.

[just bee]

@Oznell 

Nineteen??? 

Give that Sibyl a big hug from all of us. 

[PA Mom-mom]

@Oznell  Love hearing about your naughty Sibyl! Love paperwhites in the cold months. A harbinger of things to come.

My mom always grew Christmas paperwhites in a clear glass bowl with rocks in the bottom. Dad had a Christmas cactus and an Easter cactus. The Christmas was red and the Easter was pink. He fussed over them like a nanny. I do remember the sharper edges on the Christmas cactus. Maybe it was really a Thanksgiving cactus. Who knows?

[Marsha2003]

I love the way paperwhites look, but learned that I cannot tolerate the scent when my mother displayed a lovely bowlful one holiday.  So, now, I just enjoy the pictures.