Time for Paperwhites!

the rundown on this seasonal hero

My mom always has paperwhites blooming when we come home for the holidays. It’s such a joy to see where she’s dotted them around the house in jars and vases and teacups. They’re so elegant, with their long stems and puffs of white flowers — and that smell!! As with so many other things, I’ve tried to emulate her effortless paperwhite scatterings throughout the house: they’re happy little scented surprises around every corner. If you can stand to give them away, they make the loveliest holiday presents.

These are called “forced” bulbs because by exposing them to heat and light indoors, you essentially trick them into blooming in winter, months earlier than they would in nature. Paperwhites don’t need to sit undisturbed and cold in the ground to bloom, so they’re the perfect bulbs to force for an end-of-year show.