I can remember my Poppy sending us to the store for “Paper White”
Narcissus bulbs in November. We would plant them on Thanksgiving Day. When we
returned to my grandparents’ house on Christmas day, the bulbs would be in full
bloom. In four weeks, the bulbs grew
about 12 inches tall with small star-shaped flowers whose fragrance would fill
the room.
“Paper Whites” are Tazetta Daffodils and they are descendants
of fall blooming daffodils from Spain. They are not very cold hardy and
commercially they are grown in Israel. Some popular cultivars are “Ziva,” ”Bethlehem,” and “Nazareth.” Also there is a double one call “Erlicheer”
and a yellow cultivar called ”Grand Soleil d’Or’” and for those find the fragrance
of the a little too strong there is “Inbal” that is almost fragrant free.
The bulbs can be planted in regular potting soil or in a
dish with pebbles or glass beads. Just make sure the bottom of the bulb touches
water. Keep them in a cool but sunny place until they bloom. To have bulbs
blooming all winter, buy about 2 dozen bulbs and plant every few weeks. Store
the bulbs in a cool, dry place until you are ready to plant. This fast growing
bulb is a great flower to teach children about plants. As a child, it seemed to me the “Paper White”
was a real Christmas miracle.
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