Have you ever tried making an indoor garden with spring flowering bulbs in the cool winter months? Nothing says spring is coming better than having blooming bulbs in your window sills. Well that’s the way I feel anyway. You can have Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other spring flowering bulbs blooming for you in very little time by using a simple procedure called “forcing.

Forcing makes it possible to enjoy spring blooms in the winter. Start the bulbs in late September, blossoms will begin to appear in January. You can have a sequence of bulbs in bloom through March by potting them at two-week intervals through the end of November.

It takes about 18 weeks from the time the bulbs are potted until they burst into bloom. They must spend at least 13 of those weeks in a simulated winter environment. A cool (35 to 48 degrees F) location such as a basement, unheated closet, attic or garage will do. During this “cooling” period bulbs develop roots.

To begin the forcing process, select a container that is twice the depth of the bulb and has a bottom drainage hole. A clay or plastic flower pot or a ceramic planter are excellent. If you use a new clay pot, soak it overnight in water to allow it to absorb moisture. Whatever container you use, be sure it is clean inside and out before planting the bulbs.

Bulbs need light, well-drained media. A combination of equal parts potting soil, peat moss and sand is recommended. No fertilizer is necessary.

Place a few flat pebbles or pieces of broken clay pot over the drainage hole and fill the container half way with media. If you’re potting tulip bulbs, position them so that the flat side is facing the side of the pot. Plant hyacinths, daffodils and other bulbs upright with the tips of the bulbs level with the container rim. In both cases, gently tamp the soil firmly around the base of the bulbs.

After the bulbs are in place, add more potting media. Cover small bulbs completely, but leave the tips of larger bulbs exposed. Water the soil thoroughly and let it drain. Label the container with the flower type, variety, color, and potting date. Place it in a cool location and water the soil regularly to keep the media moist but not waterlogged.

After approximately 10 weeks at 48 degrees F, roots will begin to grow out of the drainage hole and light green shoots will emerge from the bulbs. This is your cue to move the container to a mild (60 to 65 degree F), sunny room. In a matter of 20 to 25 days the buds will open. You can prolong the life of the flowers by keeping them away from radiators, heaters and drafts.

When bulbs have finished flowering, remove the faded flowers but not the foliage. Continue watering the potted bulbs until the ground can be dug in spring. Then plant the bulbs outdoors. Bulbs that have been forced will not bloom again indoors without great pampering, but some bulbs, especially daffodils, have been known to bloom the following spring in the garden.

Some bulb varieties suggested for forcing are tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, and minor bulbs such as crocus, Iris reticulata, and grape hyacinth.