Forcing, Etc.: The Indoor Gardener's Guide to Bringing Bulbs, Branches & Houseplants into Bloom [Hardcover]

What's a dyed-in-the-wool gardener to do when faced with stubborn Old Man Winter's downright refusal to let much of anything grow? Force it, that's what. Forcing is the art of convincing a bulb, branch, houseplant, or cutting to flower when it would otherwise be dormant. So when the drabness of winter and its attendant exorbitant price for cut flowers hits you, try forcing.

It's not difficult, but it does take some planning and foresight. If you want to force bulbs to flower in February, for instance, you have to order them in late summer so that you can pot them up in the fall. Twigs, on the other hand, are much easier to force: just cut them after six weeks of cold weather, put them in some water, and watch the virtual spring of your warm rooms transform them into leggy, flowering spirea, corylopsis, forsythia, or catkins, for instance. Author Katherine Whiteside explores associated topics such as choosing the best container and presentation within the home, as well as topics only an expert could love ("the narcissus question").

Forcing, Etc. is a good read. It's not a reference book in the truest sense of the word; the lack of an index is at fault there. This doesn't mean that there's not an awful lot of good information here for beginners and adepts, well and entertainingly written. But when you want to check on the fertilizer ratio for your calla lilies, you'll have to page through the entire book to find it (in a very small typeface, too). But with Richard Felber's gorgeous photos on every page, maybe that's not such a bad thing to have to do. --Stefanie Durbin

"After perusing Forcing, Etc. even those with the blackest of thumbs will want to try forcing bulbs and spring branches" -- Rebecca's Garden, January 2000

"Award winning author, Katherine Whiteside brings the glorious color and scent of flower gardens indoors in this beautifully photographed book." -- Dig, November 1999

"Bulbs, branches and plants will thrive indoors thanks to these how-tos" -- American HomeStyle & Gardening, October 1999

"For more inspiration...Katherine Whiteside's Forcing, Etc. will open up a whole new world beyond paper-whites." -- Town & Country, Jane Garmey, March 2000

Imagine it: the glorious color and fragrance of a garden in bloom, brought indoors. Paperwhites at Thanksgiving. Crocus, amaryllis, and tulips for the holidays. Great vases of flowing forsythia filling rooms with spring---in the dead of February. It's all the magic of forcing bulbs, branches, and blossoms, and here's the book that shows how. Written by award-winning author Katherine Whiteside and drawing on the plant- and bulb-purveying expertise of Smith & Hawken, Forcing, Etc. combines hands-on-how-to with an artist's passion for detail to show how to grow dozens of common and exotic plants, including hardy bulbs--crocus, narcissus, muscari, and iris; tender bulbs--oxalis, calla lily, clivia; branches--apple and apricot to bittersweet, moosewood, and quince; and tender plants--fuchsia, coleus, clematis, lemongrass, and scented geraniums. In addition, the author focuses on presentation and display: choosing unexpected containers; creating tripods, trellises, and tuteurs; and orchestrating an indoor garden for balance of bloom and color.

Imagine it: pots of sweetly fragrant 'Orange Queen' narcissus at the height of winter. Amaryllis, tulips, and sunny-faced crocuses to ease post-holiday doldrums. Great sprays of forsythia filling rooms with spring--in the middle of February. Plus towering calla lilies, the happy clivia, and scented geraniums. By putting the right plant in the right place--and following the simplest of directions--the glory and fragrance of a garden in bloom can be enjoyed indoors during the bleakest months of the year. An expert gardener who is also an innovative floral stylist, Katherine Whiteside offers a livley, idea-filled introduction to the art of forcing bulbs, branches, and other flowers--including irises, hyacinths, scillas, oxalis, calla lilies, velthemias, jasmine, begonias, and more. Plant profiles cover specifics for the most widely grown flowers; and tips for plant pairing and arranging are offered at every turn. Tying it all together are Richard Felber's lush photographs.

Exploring the world of paperwhites, potted hyacinths, and more, award-winning writer Katherine Whiteside combines hands-on how-to with a flower lover's enthusiasm in a forcing primer that's as complete as it is glorious. Organized by plant type, FORCING, ETC covers dozens of common and exotic plants that are readily available and easily growable for the indoor gardener. Here are step-by--step instructions demystifying the techniques of forcing bulb into bloom by simulating autumn, deep winter, and early spring in an accelerated time frame. Of tricking bare branches and twigs to blossom in the house--weeks or even months before their scheduled time. Of potting up and water forcing. And of raising and propagating--favorite indoor plants. There are unexpected ideas for choosing the right containers throughout, and an appendix offering a mail-order listing of sources for both plants and unusual ornamental materials. FEATURING: --Hardy Bulbs. Crocus, narcissus, tulip, and other cold-loving flowers of a spring garden. --Tender Bulbs. Exotics from the other side of the world, such as bowiea, amaryllis, clivia, and calla lily. --Houseplants. The classic houseplants--ficus, coleus, scented geranium, jasmine, begonia. --Twigs & Branches. Forsythia, quince, witch hazel, and others already in your garden, waiting to be transformed as if by magic. Plant-by-plant instructions on prechilling, potting up, putting away, and water forcing. Choosing unexpected containers. Creating tripods, trellises, and tuteurs. Extensive mail-order source list for plants and materials.

Richard Felber is a leading garden and landscape photographer who regularly contributes to major publications and books.

Katherine Whiteside is an award-winning freelance garden writer whose articles have appeared in Elle Decor, House & Garden, Town & Country, Martha Stewart Living, The New York Times, Vogue, Garden Design, Metropolitan Home, and many foreign publications. Her first book, Antique Flowers, won two Awards of Merit from the Garden Writers of America. Her second, Classic Bulbs, was a Main Selection of the Garden Book Club. Ms. Whiteside lives in Garrison, New York.

BULB PRIMER--Hyacinth One of the reasons hyacinths have had such a long uninterrupted heyday is that they're very simple to grow. A few gardeners forgo them because of their reputation for top-heaviness and occasionally overpowering perfumes, but this is like always forgoing vacations because you had one that was bad. Properly chosen hyacinths are delicately formed, pleasantly scented, and come in colors from pale apricot to blackish-purple. Adding hyacinths to your indoor garden provides a little glimpse of heaven in February. SOIL FORCING: For forcing in soil, hyacinths should be potted up by mid-October. Use ordinary potting medium and, for best effect, place bulbs close together, but not touching. The pointy tops of the bulbs should be about half an inch above the soil line. Water them thoroughly and place the pots in a cold (35 to 48 degree F), dark location for at least 13 weeks. If the bulbs start to push out of the soil during rooting, add a layer of gravel on top to weigh them down a bit, taking care not to cover the bulb's pointed nose. Keep them watered and in the dark until bulb shoots reach one inch tall. At this point, move the pot to a cool (55 degree F), bright location (a north-facing window is perfect). Soon, the shoots will turn green and buds will appear. Once in flower (about two weeks) keep the hyacinths cool and well watered. WATER FORCING: Water forcing hyacinths is even simpler than growing them in soil. Place the bulbs in brown paper bags in a dark, cool (50 to 55 degree F) location for 12 weeks. After this period, place the dormant bulbs in forcing vases filled with water to a level just barely touching the bottoms of the bulbs. Keep them cool and dark until the roots are two inches long (about three weeks), then bring them into the light. Blooms should appear in about two weeks. If your forcing vase doesn't offer enough support to prevent the flowers from leaning, prop the bulb with pretty twigs to prevent diving hyacinths. Excerpted from Forcing, Etc. by Katherine Whiteside. Copyright (c) 1999. Reprinted with permission by Workman Publishing.