How to Force Bulbs Into Bloom

Purple Shamrock

Purple shamrock, also known as oxalis, has tiny pink flowers and cloverlike leaves. It needs drainage, so you'll have to perforate the container if it's watertight, as with the pitcher here. (For a ceramic container, mark the center of the base with masking tape, then drill a hole there with a 1/2-inch carbide-tipped bit; wear goggles for protection. Rinse off any dust afterward.)

How to plant: Fill three-quarters of the container with potting mix. Set the bulbs (as many as the container will hold) on top, then scoop in more potting mix, to about an inch from the rim. Douse the bulbs with tepid water, then don't water again until you see growth, in about three weeks.

 

You'll see blooms: In about eight weeks. Purple shamrock will grow indoors year-round if you give it three or more hours of sunlight a day and water when it's dry to the touch. Or replant outdoors; it should survive winter in all but the coldest climates.