Fun With Forcing & Indoor Plant Update

With a light layer of snow on the ground, there's not much going on outside, so it's time to turn to inside.  It's been several years since I forced bulbs, and I couldn't be more pleased with their performance this year.  The no-brainer Hyacinth kit was a great success.  This is 'Delft Blue.'  I prefer growing Hyacinths in the house, where their strong perfume can be fully enjoyed.  I also find it hard to incorporate them in the garden, as they always look stiff and formal. I was very impressed with this kit because it sent up two bloom stalks.  They are nearly done blooming now, having been in bloom for about two weeks now.

These 'Lydia' Tulips I picked up at the Morton Arboretum's bulb sale last fall. I potted them up and stuffed them in a cabinet in my unheated garage.  When they started to sprout, late in January, I brought them into the house.  They're all faded now, and probably would have lasted longer had I not put them near a vent.  (Note to self:  keep Tulips in a cooler place.)

My continuing adventures with indoor plants have had mixed success.  The tiny African Violet I put in my head terrarium is half rotted because I overwatered it before I went to Florida.  I expect it to recover, but it will be a long time before it blooms again.  My potted cutting of a Sweet Potato Vine (Impomoea) is on death's doorstep.  I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong with it.  I'm tempted to cut off a little of what's left and try to get that to root.

And now the good news:  the Primula is hanging in there, still blooming despite my earlier neglect.  I think this one's a keeper. The huge potted Pelargonium is enjoying the increased daylight and is putting out new growth.  And, most encouraging of all, my tiny Kalanchoe is going to bloom again!This has to be a personal first, getting a houseplant purchased in bloom to rebloom.