Pots of flowering amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus bulbs make lovely additions to your holiday decor. They also make great gifts. While amaryllis can be coaxed into blooming year after year, narcissus bulbs bloom just once. But that's not a big drawback, as much of the pleasure lies in watching these flowers grow, not just enjoying the blooms.
It's really easy to force paperwhite narcissus, because they don't require any special treatment. These small bulbs each produce one or two stems crowned with a cluster of small, ivory-colored, starlike blossoms.
Amaryllis require more care, but these large bulbs send up one or more thick stems, each usually topped by four enormous lily-like blooms in vibrant shades of red, pink or white.
Forcing paperwhites
Arrange the bulbs close together in a relatively shallow container that has no drain holes. An odd number of bulbs looks best. They don't need any nutrients because you'll just toss them once they've finished blooming, so you can plant paperwhites in decorative pebbles, stones or marbles instead of potting soil.
Plant each bulb deep enough so that it's anchored in place and won't topple over as it gets taller. (The pebbles or soil should reach about halfway up the sides of each bulb.) Add enough water to cover the lowest part of the bulbs, then set the container in a dark, cool location for several days.
After a few days, move the container to a sunny location. The more light the plants receive, the more compact they'll be. Monitor the water level daily, adding just enough to keep the roots moist. The little flowers will open sequentially, over two or three weeks.
Once the flowers dry up, toss the bulbs, wash the pebbles and save them to use next year.