As each March approaches, I eagerly look for some early sign of spring. For me it is seeing the crocus push their way up through the partially frozen ground. I watch for them for days, until the one sunny day they burst into bloom and I know that spring is truly on its way. That day can seem to take forever, but with a little planning in the fall, you can enjoy a whole spring garden of colorful tulips, fragrant hyacinths and of course crocus—all indoors in February.

To get this spring bloom, you will need to “force” the bulbs. Standard forcing involves creating the conditions for hardy spring flowering bulbs—tulips, hyacinths, narcissus, crocus and other temperate zone bulbs—to flower when they wouldn’t normally bloom. You can encourage them to do so by creating an abbreviated facsimile of their natural winter environment—cold. The cold that you supply will be of shorter duration than a natural fall and winter, but long enough to induce the bulb to send out roots.

Commercial bulb growers have been forcing hardy bulbs for many, many years, and forcing has evolved into an exact science with guidelines and schedules that ensure success. By applying the rules of this science, you can decide when you want the plants to bloom and work backward to determine when you should start the process.

Getting Started

To begin, select the flowers that you want on your windowsill to brighten your winter days. Choose named varieties that have been forced successfully over the years; these most likely will present the fewest problems. Among tulips, traditionally forced cultivars include ‘Apricot Beauty’, ‘Christmas Marvel’ (rose or red), ‘Attila’ (purple with a white edge), ‘Paul Richter’ (red), ‘Page Polka’ (pink with a white edge) and ‘Golden Melody’ and ‘Hibernia’ (white). Tried and true narcissus cultivars include ‘Ice Follies’ (white), ‘February Gold’ (yellow), ‘Dutch Master’ (yellow), ‘Mount Hood’ (white) and some of the shorter-growing cultivars like ‘Tete-a-Tete’ (yellow) and ‘Jack Snipe’ (white petals with a yellow trumpet). Almost all hyacinth cultivars force nicely, including ‘Delft Blue’, ‘Ostara’ (deep violet-blue), ‘Pink Pearl’, ‘L’Innocence’, (white) ‘City of Haarlem’ (yellow) and ‘Hollyhock’ (double pink). Among the best crocuses to try are Dutch hybrid cultivars such as ‘Remembrance’ (purple), ‘Joan of Arc’ (white) and ‘Yellow Mammoth’.

When selecting any bulbs for forcing, look not only for tried and true cultivars but also for the largest, healthiest bulbs, and make sure they are firm, clean and unbruised. Tulips and hyacinths have a tunic, an outer paper-like covering that protects the bulb, which should be intact.

Planting

Next you will need containers, labels, planting media and a cool place to keep your bulbs during their cold treatment. Ideal containers are about 6 inches deep and 6 to 8 inches across, with holes in the bottom to allow for drainage. Each 6-inch pot will hold five tulips, four hyacinths, three to five narcissus (depending on the varieties), or ten to 12 crocus. Clay and plastic are the most popular materials for pots, but remember that clay pots will dry out faster than the plastic ones—and adequate moisture during the cold treatment is essential for success. If you choose to plant in clay pots, monitor the soil carefully, as it will need water more often than if you use plastic.

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