Gloria's Christmas Narcissus

Paper White Narcissus are perfect for growing indoors at this time of year. You can buy them from Sarah Raven

Plant now and over the Christmas period you could have narcissus in bloom with a delicious scent and wouldn’t that make the perfect Christmas present? Paper White bulbs are perfect (you can buy them from Sarah Raven) for growing indoors and will flower with in the four to six weeks.

1. Choose a nice pot or make a statement with a large terracotta  pot. The flowers will need staking so pop in some twigs to support the flowers as they grow.

2. For compost the best to choose is bulb fibre, especially if the container has no drainage holes. You can also use a
   soil-based or soilless compost.  It is not necessary to use a fertiliser-rich growing medium or to feed the bulbs after planting.

3. Wet the fibre or compost first and place a layer in the bottom of the bowl or pot and set the bulbs on this layer. They can be close together, but not touching each other or the sides of the container. Note: You may wish to wear gloves as some narcissus can cause skin irritation. 

4. Fill around the bulbs with more fibre or compost, leaving about 1cm (½in) between the compost surface and the container rim to aid watering. The tops of the bulbs should just be showing at the surface.

5. Place in a warm light area and wait for the magic of nature and don’t forget to take a photograph 

Download Gloria’s Christmas Narcissus instructions here

Watch Mandy potting up below.

Update January 2020 – did you plant up your Narcissus? I did and look how hansom they are, bring cheer to my dull January kitchen!