Imagine a windowsill laden with fabulous, fragrant flowers--during winter's darkest days. Forcing, or coaxing, bulbs to blossom in special jars is an age-old gardening trick that is easy and rewarding. The material costs are reasonable, with time and patience being the major investments.

Bulbs have internal clocks controlling bloom times. Paperwhites and amaryllis flower during winter months without special treatment. Hyacinth, crocus, and iris are spring bloomers and require some coercion to flower early. Follow these easy steps now for a wonderful flower-filled New Year.

The Big Chill
Spring-flowering selections require weeks of sustained cold and darkness to trigger their bloom cycles. Climatically speaking, to a bulb there's little difference between the wintergarden and the refrigerator. Place them in a paper or mesh bag, and confine them to the vegetable bin. Refrain from placing fruit in the same compartment, which can ruin the bulbs. Squeeze the bulbs periodically; they should be dry and firm. Each spring bloomer has a specific cooling time, so mark your calendar to remove bulbs at the appropriate date, based on the chart on the next page. Amaryllis and paperwhites do not require a cold period. Omit the cooling time for these flowers, and move on to the next step. Some hyacinths are prechilled and require less refrigerator time than unprepared bulbs. If you buy prechilled bulbs, Becky Heath with Brent and Becky's Bulbs in Gloucester, Virginia, has this advice: "Always inquire how long they have been out of cold storage. Once the bulbs have been at room temperature for a sustained period, the effectiveness of the chilling wears off," she says. It never hurts to give these bulbs a bit more time in the refrigerator.