Deb Babcock's gardening column appears Mondays in Steamboat
Today. Find more gardening columns here. Many of the local
garden centers are promoting bulbs this month to plant for color
next spring. As you consider whether to pick up some bulbs for
the garden, consider purchasing a few to bring fragrance and
color inside your home during the drab winter. Bulbs that are
easy to force into an early bloom indoors include crocus,
hyacinth, narcissus, iris, scilla and tulip, as well as the
striking amaryllis, which can be found in stores this time of
year. Most bulbs need a period of cold and dark before they will
consider blooming for you. My friend, Laura, simply places bulbs
under the snow or in a dark place outdoors for several weeks
before bringing them indoors to pot up. Another way to force
bulbs to flower is to plant them in a container filled with
potting soil, and place in a cool, dark place — about 40 degrees
Fahrenheit — for 12 to 14 weeks. Use a spare refrigerator, bury
in a mulch pile under snow, or pl