Is it too early to plant the paper whites?  Will they be past their prime by Christmas Day?  Regardless, today the spirit moved me!!!

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I planted a dozen bulbs in a shallow blue bowl

and hope they will look like this....

or perhaps a little shorter if we use the alcohol treatment!

I think I mentioned the alcohol treatment before.

It is recommended following the results of a  research program

conducted by William A. Miller, Professor of Horticulture at Cornell University

and a number of his students.

Here is the gen.....

Plant the bulbs in stones and water, as usual

After a week, when the roots have started to spread,

pour off the water and replace it with a solution of 4 to 6% alcohol

made from HARD liquor (this is important)

To get a 5% solution from a 40% distilled spirit you add one part of  alcohol

to 7 parts of water, and use this solution for further watering as needed.

Moderation is the keyword, - don't increase the percentage

of alcohol above 10%!

Plants suffer from alcohol poisoning too!

Rubbing alcohol works just as well, if you can't bear to use your scotch or rum

on a bowl of bulbs, but as it is usually 70% alcohol

when bought 1 part of alcohol to 10 or 11 parts of water

is sufficient!!!!!!

I rather liked the idea of individual bulbs in glasses, on a window sill

or in front of a mirror - perhaps I will see if we can go to the plant shop tomorrow

when we go to town.....????