Flowers in the winter

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Colleen848

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Had a hard time to figure out what title this should go under as it fit 2.
So here goes:
I have read several times about flowers in the room especially during the winter. I had thought of this before but had forgotten until all my daffodils and narcisuss (sp?) started popping up. Some I will need to relocate.
Now this may be a "crazy" idea but has anyone seperated their bulbs and saved them for the winter months when you can "force" them to bloom? Then you can replant them in the spring or just keep adding to the beds. I have a large yard and could add a kizzilion more. Sure eventullay there would be enough but you could just keep rotating them.
Crazy question but........Just wondered.
 
I had all the beautiful purple and yellow irises that rimmed my house move to different homes around town and to Pennsylvania. It took 3 years but my daffodils eventually got relocated to PA also. I replaced them with herbs for my cooking. I am so slow in winter that it is no biggie to go get a carnation at the town flower shop when I have someone coming. Now I have cut blooms from my dogwood, and last week took a cutting from the neighbor's azaela (mine were not bloomed enough yet) since all the branches that blow off the tree we share land in MY yard I did not feel guilty! My one rhodo is starting to bloom and the other will not be far behind.
I barely had room for 2 large pots of chives for the winter - flowers need more than I (or my black thumb) could ever do. The chives DID survive the winter - I am not sure how (I have a tendency to forget to add water to the equation on a regular basis).
 
Guests are far and few in between in the winter months (here). I would hate to use them and not have them enjoyed to their fullest. There are always Astromeria from Peru or wherever avail year-round that last a long time.
I have a confession, even when flowers are blooming I don't like to cut them and use them as I like to enjoy them outside. Today we cut a big fluffy rose to put on the breakfast table, and I was sad to see it go! (Happy to enjoy it inside, but sad). This too, because I am not a prolific green-thumber.
 
I will attempt to add a link as to how easy it is to force spring bulbs in the winter. Even if guests are few and far between the flowers last a considerable length of time. I know because I have done this for myself.
Here goes
Forcing Bulbs Indoors
http://www.savvygardener.com/Features/forcing_bulbs.html
This particular link suggests alot of different bulbs to try.
Some of the comments about the black thumb remind me of the commercial for a particular potting soil where the woman is sitting outside on her steps and said, "This is the house where plants come to die!" or something to that effect.
Have faith. I wanted to open this year but it is just out of the question. I think I will try this for when I do next year in the spring.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
 
I thought forced bulbs didn't come back. I like to decorate the inn with forced bubs in the winter though.
Sounds like a lot of extra work that I don't have time for since I'm runnign wine tours. Our grocery store has great selection for around 6$ for a bouquet that does two rooms
Riki
 
I will attempt to add a link as to how easy it is to force spring bulbs in the winter. Even if guests are few and far between the flowers last a considerable length of time. I know because I have done this for myself.
Here goes
Forcing Bulbs Indoors
http://www.savvygardener.com/Features/forcing_bulbs.html
This particular link suggests alot of different bulbs to try.
Some of the comments about the black thumb remind me of the commercial for a particular potting soil where the woman is sitting outside on her steps and said, "This is the house where plants come to die!" or something to that effect.
Have faith. I wanted to open this year but it is just out of the question. I think I will try this for when I do next year in the spring.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained..
The flower shop is a 2 minute drive. My chives were less work and saved me more money. In winter, I hunker down and try to hibernate!
 
I bought about 200 daff bulbs on sale at the end of the year, potted them and put them on a cold porch. I brought them out over a couple of weeks after the new year, and had a real show in the house for over a month. I am planting them out now. I will do this again. Bulbs grown naturally outside may not have bulbs big enough for certain bloom?
 
I thought forced bulbs didn't come back. I like to decorate the inn with forced bubs in the winter though.
Sounds like a lot of extra work that I don't have time for since I'm runnign wine tours. Our grocery store has great selection for around 6$ for a bouquet that does two rooms
Riki.
Forced bulbs due in fact come back. Maybe not so well if you just put them in water with the decorative stones but you could add a liquid plant food to the water.
Really takes very little time. The most time would be taken to allow the bulbs to finish flowering and die back.
Then they could be planted/replanted in the yard.
Don't mind me, I come from a family that were farmers. My grandfather was the first to grow melons in this area due to the short season but he came up with a plan. I have the old newspaper clippings my Grandmother cut out from the '30s and 40's. Ha Ha
I need to check into my responsibilites if I were to set up wine tours because I live in the area of the Niagara Wine Trail. I also have to find out if I can give guests a "complimentary" glass of wine.
I don't know if you have Aldi's where you live but they always have flowers for about $3. for carnations and such. Maybe $4-5 for roses. But the roses never last.
Which reminds me I recently read that after you cut the stems on a angle to add vodka to the water. Supposedly it keeps them fresh longer.
There was also something about cleaning shower stalls with it etc. The vodka I had last summer I turned into cherry vodka and also "kahlua" so I'm not wasting it on that.
 
I have a lovely, re-blooming orchid that is gracing the breakfast table. Another re-bloomer is just about ready to be put into guest rooms. I LOVE orchids because their blooming can last for several months and eliminates the need for cut flowers.
 
If I don't have flowers from the yard, I use twigs of greenery...like rosemary.
 
We also had green plants in all the rooms year-round. In the Fall, I would use potted mums in strategic places and then plant them in the yard. So, your forced bulbs would work in the same way.
But I agree with the others, in the dead of winter, I could make a 3 for $10 bouquet go a long way with the few guests that we had.
 
I have a lovely, re-blooming orchid that is gracing the breakfast table. Another re-bloomer is just about ready to be put into guest rooms. I LOVE orchids because their blooming can last for several months and eliminates the need for cut flowers..
I love orchids too. You're absolutely correct, the flowers can last a month or more. I "had" some lovely large flowered ones I purchased in Hawaii. I say "had" because my DDaughter brought her cats here and well.......things have never been the same. Need I say more?
 
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