The natural cycle of fall-planted bulbs is for the bulb to rest in the soil for the winter. When the soil warms and the sun begins to shine for longer periods, the bulb knows that it's time to break dormancy and sprout a flower.
The 'force' refers to artificially replicating spring conditions to encourage early blooming. The bulbs must have also gone through a "winter", or a period where they have been chilled in a dark space to mimic over-wintering in the soil.
Chill bulbs between 8-15 weeks at approximately 35-45°F (2-7°C). The exact number of weeks can change depending on the type of bulb and variety. You can buy pre-chilled bulbs for indoor forcing as well, which saves a lot of time and effort.
Some of the best bulbs for forcing indoors are:
The container you choose is just as much a part of the decorative arrangement as the blooms will be.
You can search for beautiful hyacinth forcing vases, many of which have been collected or passed on for many generations. These glass vessels have a bulb dish above a narrow neck that keeps the bulb above the water line. The roots will reach down to the water and feed the bulb as it grows leaves and flowers.
Cover the top of the soil with pebbles, glass, or decorative moss to finish your arrangement. Further bring a spring to bulb arrangements indoors by planting a few annuals such as primula, violas, or ranunculus that will bloom at a lower level than the bulbs reaching up towards the sky.
Cold season annuals work well when planted with spring bulbs in arrangements.
Original article and pictures take www.ebay.com site
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