Winter is here and I for one am happy about it. I love the cold and especially snow but I should come clean and admit that more than anything I enjoy hibernating (as much as we humans can manage), large mugs of hot chocolate (with a splash of Frangelica!) and using a hot water bottle to warm my chilly toes!

All that said, I am also a gardener, so while I appreciate the break from my plot of land I still yearn to have a few plants to keep an eye on and wait and watch as they suddenly come in to bloom

Enter the fabulous Paperwhite Narcissus (Narcissus papyreceus)! Nothing new under the sun here folks, but they are so wonderful on a grey winter day or surrounded by candles in the evening. Crazy easy to grow (loads of info and how to’s on the web) and found in many flower shops and garden centers at this time of year, Paperwhites do a great job of reminding us that spring is around the corner…even if it’s a really long corner.

Plant many pots of them with a few weeks in between each planting and you could get through till late February and probably March. Unfortunately for us in Philadelphia, Paperwhites don’t rebloom if planted outdoors (unless you happen to live in zones 8-11), so once they are finished toss them in your compost pile.. or a kind friends’ or neighbors’ pile.

Judy keeps them in our office from late fall into late winter and they are much appreciated and loved.  I always have a few pots in the bedroom to greet me in the morning…something sweet and bright to start my day. Happy Winter!