Gardening expert and broadcaster Monty Don has shared a November planting tip that promises flowers in bloom by Christmas morning: planting paperwhites.
In a blog post, Monty listed activities worth doing in the garden this month, including planting new plants and caring for existing flowers. Among them, he highlighted paperwhites as a way to guarantee blooms on your windowsill by Christmas.
Why Paperwhites Bloom Quickly
According to Monty, the white daffodils, officially called Narcissus papyraceus, are quick to bloom, unlike most daffodils which require a cold spell to trigger flowering. He explains that paperwhites are native to the Mediterranean, a factor that allows them to skip that requirement.
To get them started, Monty advises to "plant the bulbs just beneath the surface of your compost in a container (ideally with drainage, but a normal bowl can be used if you add some charcoal to keep the soil sweet)."
Planting and Care Steps
Once planted, he says to "keep them watered but not soggy and place in a warm, light place." This allows the bulbs to grow strongly. If planted indoors in warmth, paperwhites should flower in about 4 weeks. To prolong flowering, keep them cool but frost-free.
In the same blog post, Monty also shared tips for planting tulips, calling it "the most important and best job of the month." He noted that if you can't manage it now, it's fine to do so anytime before Christmas. Tulips need good drainage, so adding grit or sand to heavy soil is recommended.
Other November Gardening Tasks
For planting tulips, Monty suggests using a crowbar to dig holes 12 inches deep or more, because "the deeper they are, the stronger and straighter the stem will be." In containers, drainage is easier to manage and bulbs don't need to go in as deep.
Finally, he advises starting to think about lifting dahlias, since frost will quickly reduce their foliage to blackened mush, but the tubers remain unharmed as long as the ground hasn't frozen.
