wacky wednesday - indoor gardening

Once upon a time we lived in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for a year. One of the many things I experienced for the first time there was bulb flowers. In the fall our neighbors planted tulips, daffodils and other bulb flowers and then waited through the long, cold winter for spring when a rainbow of color erupted in their gardens and lined their walkways.

When we returned to Arizona, I wanted to plant some bulbs in our yard but I discovered it was not quite as easy as just sticking them in the ground and forgetting them from year to year. Our soil is too clay-like so it takes a lot of soil preparation. Since they need to have a "chilling season" and our outside temperatures are not cold enough, you have to put them in the refrigerator for several weeks prior to planting. And then watering can be tricky since they like to be slightly moist but not saturated. We have two kinds of "watering" in the desert - dried out or flooded.

So I gave up on growing bulb flowers and stuck with the usual desert flora.

Imagine my surprise and delight when, twenty years later, I found hyacinth bulbs growing in water at my local grocery store! I read the tag on the vase and discovered that they will grow and bloom in the vase indoors. Of course I bought one!

According to the directions, all I need to do is keep the roots (but not the bulb) in water, keep it in a well-lit, cool (60-70 degrees F.) place and within a couple of weeks, I should have a beautiful flowering hyacinth. 

I will keep you posted. In the meantime, I am mildly optimistic!