Paperwhites and a Crystal Ball

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My Paperwhites bloomed just in time for Christmas this year. I first showed them here: Holiday Decorating.
Paperwhites (Narcissus tazetta), members of the daffodil family, don't require a chilling period for blooming. That is why they are easy to grow for the Holidays.
I planted them in three groups. The first bunch of bulbs went into a big ceramic vase.

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There is a shallow plate inside it with rocks and water. On the top, I put moss from my garden. I agree with many of you who noticed in the comments to the post shown above that the moss was a nice finishing touch. To keep it green, I sprayed it with water daily.

The second group of bulbs went into a big glass jar.

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They also grew on rocks in the water. The water just touched the bottom of the bulbs.
As recommended by our garden guru Ciscoe Morris, I added vodka into the water to prevent paperwhites' leaves from growing too tall and falling apart. Despite that, the leaves were pretty tall and took almost a horizontal position. I should admit that I didn't follow the directions 100% - to add a tablespoon of vodka when the leaves are 5 inches (12 sm) tall. I chickened out and added less. My fault.

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As Ciscoe Morris explains, "the alcohol burns the roots just enough to slow stem growth. Don't worry: The stiff drink won't make your paper whites tipsy. The stems will remain upright and the flowers will be just as large and long-lasting as ever". Next time, I'll do exactly what he says! Also, I'll try to remember to use tall glass containers for growing paperwhites to keep the leaves straight.
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Please notice some swirls in the above picture. I don't remember seeing such swirled leaves in previous years. Drunk paperwhites?
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Nevertheless, the plants pleased us with their small but very delicate and aromatic flowers. Very fragrant!

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The third group of bulbs went into three small blue and white ceramic pots with a special planting mix. One bulb per pot.
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The mix came from a store with the bulbs. These paperwhites could be seen in a vertical position as in the picture above, or almost horizontally, as in the next picture.

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I noticed that the leaves of my paperwhites tend to do the Limbo (lie down) after I added water. They stayed straight when the planting mix was drier.

I plan to plant the bulbs outside in the spring (paperwhite bulbs can be grown outdoors in USDA hardiness zones 8 - 10), although it is risky. These perennials are very tender, and even a slight freeze can be fatal for them.

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Do you see a crystal ball in the next picture?

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When I saw it, it brought back special memories.

I ordered this chandelier long before our house was finished. We rented an appartment while the house was under construction. The big chandelier box was delivered to the house and put into the garage by the construction workers. I opened the box and checked its contents. All the chandelier parts were present. Since our garage didn't yet have doors, we loaded the box into our car. We left it there because the appartment was packed full with other boxes. (Well, this could be the answer to a question that was asked by many of our visitors from abroad. Why do Americans like big cars? To carry boxes with chandeliers!)
Once, while we were driving, our twin boys were engaged in throwing different stuff at each other. Socks, toys and other objects were flying back and forth in the back seat. One of the boys turned around, grabbed a piece of crumpled paper from a box and hit his brother with it. We heard a scream! A fight started. My husband was driving, and I was dealing with the boys. Despite all my efforts, the screaming didn't stop. I understood the upset boy's frustration, but it was just a paperball that couldn't hurt badly, could it? Actually, it looked like it did hurt! Tired of all the commotion, my husband stopped the car, opened the back door, grabbed the paper ball and threw it into a trash can near some store.

One or two months passed. Our house was finished, we moved in and assembled the chandelier. One part of it, the crystal ball, was missing. I was absolutely sure that everything was in place when I checked the box upon its arrival, but what to do - we ordered another part instead of the lost one. I don't remember how much time passed before it suddenly hit me! ... Have you already guessed what happened with the ball? What was in that piece of crumpled paper? Correct! It was the crystal ball! That is why it hurt when the paper hit the boy's head! This episode is in our family's history, and we laugh when we recall it.

I hope that someone found that beautiful crystal ball. I hope that someone keeps it as a symbol of good luck. There is a moral in this story for all of us: there might be gold in a pile of sand. There might be a treasure in the trash! Wonders happen, especially if it's close to the Holidays!

I wish you all a wonder-full New Year rich with enjoyable events, pleasant discoveries and exciting treasures!

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Copyright 2010 TatyanaS