Pebbles: With paperwhites or amaryllis, try polished river stones, beach glass, marbles, or decorative gravel (all at craft and floral-supply stores and online). The river pebbles above cost $7 for a five-pound bag at www.jamaligarden.com (available mid-September).

Potting Mix: Never plant bulbs using dirt from your yard — it could be harboring fungi or insect larvae. Instead, ask at a nursery for potting soil (sphagnum peat moss and minerals) and orchid mix (compressed pieces of bark, pebbles, and charcoal). To create a nutrient-rich potting mix that allows for the drainage that grape-hyacinth and purple-shamrock bulbs require, blend three parts potting soil with one part orchid mix.

Tools: All you really need is your hands. But if you have a manicure to protect, use a small grain scoop or a big spoon with a deep bowl to handle soil and pebbles. A small utility bucket or a dishpan will do for combining the orchid mix and the potting soil, while a colander or a wire strainer is fine for rinsing pebbles and aquarium charcoal.