Paperwhites: A Super Simple Way to Add Some Holiday Cheer (and Deodorize Your Home!)

My mother always put out paperwhites at the beginning of December, and thanks to my mother-in-law, I put them out every year too! These white bulbs don’t require any semblance of a green thumb and they have a beautiful fragrance that will fill your home (great when you have 3 boys and a dog!).

Paperwhites (Paperwhite narcissus) only need a dish or pot and a small amount of water and that’s it for care! Does it get any easier (okay maybe if they were succulents!)?

How to Plant Your Paperwhites

1. Select a pot or dish for your paperwhites. Since they are beautiful flowers in their own right, I like to suggest something simple like a colored pot or a glass dish.
2. Fill the pot or dish with pebbles or colored glass stones (you can find them in all different colors at Michaels). The layer should be about 2 inches from the bottom of the container.
3. Arrange your bulbs in the pot or dish. You can use one bulb or several (I chose 3). Plant them with the bulbs towards the bottom and allow the little green shoots to be above the layer of the pebbles.
4. Add water to the bottom until the level is just under the base of the bulb. You don’t want to submerge the bulbs in water or they can rot.
5. Don’t place the bulbs in direct sunlight after they flower (this will help preserve the flowers).
6. The bulbs will begin blooming about 4-6 weeks after your plant them. When they get taller, it’s helpful to tie a decorative bow around them to keep them from falling over.