Today’s photos come from the indoor garden of Laura Snyder, a professional photographer who finds great pleasure in shooting at home on her four-acre property just outside of Ottawa, Ontario.
Like everyone else, I rely on bulbs and other indoor plants to keep my spirits up over the long winter months. Pictured here is a bright red anthurium, which is a great houseplant if you have a fairly high light situation for them.
African violets (Saintpaulia species and hybrids) repeatedly bloom for me, and I always have a rotation of a few in bloom on the windowsill. I think the key to getting blooms is to let them dry out between waterings. I’ve house-sat for people who keep them in a tray of water with a wick system, but I didn’t see a bloom over the entire eight-week period.
Here’s another African violet with abundant blooms. (Editor’s note: There are tons of exciting new African violet hybrids out there these days. Check out this GPOD to see some of them.)
I’m lucky enough to have been gifted a beautiful clivia (Clivia miniata, Zones 10–11 or as a houseplant) that is now coming into its second bloom in as many years. What a stunner! Last year it bloomed just in time for Easter and was appreciated by visiting family.
Pink hyacinth (Hyacinthus hybrid, Zones 3–9) in bloom.
Close-up of a purple hyacinth.
I always forget just how exquisite the fragrance of paperwhites (Narcissus tazetta, Zones 8–11 or forced indoors) and hyacinth is. These plants lift my mood whenever I come into the room. Can anyone tell me once and for all if I should replant these spent bulbs in the spring/fall or just compost them?
Hyacinths are beautiful even before the flower buds open.
The small flowered daffodil ‘Tête-à-Tête’ (Narcissus ‘Tête-à-Tête’ Zones 4–8) is popular for forcing indoors for early bloom.
Detail of a narcissus bloom.
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Comments
Good question you pose: “is it possible for spent bulbs to bloom again if replanted in the spring?” Your indoor plants were inspiring on this cold dreary day in Toronto Canada. I just decided that I am going out today to purchase a few of those marvellous tiny daffodils after enjoying your beautiful photos. They cheered me up!
Compost your paperwhites. They are not a hardy bulb in cold places. One reason why we can be so successful with them indoors is that they don't need a cooling period to bloom that daffodils need.
I only grow paperwhites in the yard, but I force hyacinths in the house by chilling them in a paperbag for 12 weeks in the crisper (no fruit with them). Then plant in pots with soil. Just takes about a week for the roots to grow & the hyacinth starts shooting up. I have white & dark pink in bloom right now on my dining table. I plant them outside in the spring. I have had them return for several years.
Your photos are a credit to your chosen profession, Laura...all are beautiful. I'd love to see pictures of your outside garden as well.
I buy hyacinths at grocery store in Feb and after enjoying them indoors I plant them in my garden in spring. Most have bloomed the following spring.
Stunning photos! I'm in zone 5b (which I can ooch to 6 in certain spots) - I force hyacinths indoors, then plant out in the spring - but only the bulbs I've forced in soil. Those I've done in water go into compost. Paperwhites don't overwinter here, so they are forced indoors, then into compost. Right now I have hyacinths, Ziva paperwhites and some amaryllis blooming their heads off - it's the only thing that kept me going through the recent Polar Vortex. Thanks for sharing those exquisite photos!!
Gorgeous - the clivia photo made me jealous. I tried one years ago but no matter where I put it or how moist/dry the potting soil, it never rebloomed. The color of that purple hyacinth is mouth-watering!
Gorgeous photography! I really enjoyed them as I love taking pictures of my flowers also. For what it is worth, I compost my paper whites and replant my hyacinths. They May not bloom the next year, but eventually they do!
I force my hyacinth in water
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