Spring Bulbs in Old Jars

February 09, 2016


I'm in love with Spring bulbs. So fresh, green and {some are} highly scented. They bring an excitement into the house, new beginnings after the new year, a hint that spring and then summer are truly on their way. I buy cut flowers year round, big bunches of tulips and daffs from the local florist or supermarket. But I remembered seeing potted bulbs, roots and all, in glass jars last year and decided that they would be a nice introduction back into gardening after what feels like a long Winter. {and also a good way to use up old diptyque jars, remember these two posts? here and here}



I planted these up just before we went away and I can't believe how much they grew within a week! We got back from the Bahamas on Saturday, more on that to come soon and the bulbs, along with a new Spring candle were nice little treats to ease us back into the reality of rainy old wintry England. The big jar above {a Le Parfait old french jar from Kempton} has white hyacinth bulbs in and the three smaller jars below are sunny daffs. 


When I planted all the bulbs in the garden last autumn I meant to save some in plastic pots until they started shooting up to create a display like this. But I forgot! So I bought a couple of cheap pots filled with bulbs from M&S {in their food hall} the week before last and simply pulled them apart to separate them so that they'd fit in the smaller jars and then added a little of the soil that came with them. Bulbs store all their energy with the bulb itself so unlike other plants they don't need much nutrients from soil to grow. I put a small amount of water in the bottom for the roots but you don't want to flood them and make the bulbs go mouldy.


That's the only downside to planting up things like old glass jars {I used a mixture of finished candles as well as a jam jar}, they look pretty, but there's no drainage holes for the water to run off. So make sure there's some space, either with soil or some small stones/gravel for the bulbs to sit above the water. Or just tip it out and keep moist every few days. The bulbs have grown a lot within a week, the photo below shows them when I got them. 



And now they've shot up! We kept them in the light but without any heating on when we were away. Too much heat and they'll go too leggy and will fall over, without being able to support themselves. 


Our house tends to be on the cooler side of hot most of the time anyway but I keep them away from radiators. The first little daffodil flower opened today and I hope over the next week they'll be in full bloom.






I can't wait for the hyacinths to emerge, with their heady scent that can almost be too strong!


A simple Spring display to brighten up the house on these blustery winter days. Roll on Spring.. but for now we'll enjoy the pretty blooms. 

R <3 xx 

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1 comments

  1. This is such a lovely idea, thank you for sharing

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