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Article: A force of nature: with some planning now, you can fill your home with the color and fragrance of spring all winter long.(Workbench)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Country Living Gardener
- Article date:
- September 22, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Hearst Communications, reprinted with permission of Hearst. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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FOR CING SPRING BULBS into bloom before their scheduled time lets you experience the pleasures of the spring garden from January to April. "Forcing" consists of manipulating temperatures and light conditions to simulate the period of cold needed for the bulbs' annual rest period, then awakening them earlier than would occur if they were planted outdoors. The easiest bulbs to force are those that flower earliest in spring. The big three--daffodils (Narcissus spp.), tulips (Tulipa spp.) and hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis)--are the most popular, followed by minor bulbs such as snowdrops (Galanthus), crocuses (Crocus spp.), glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa), Siberian squill ...