Indoor gardening and growing flower bulbs lets us have the colors and aromas of spring in the dead of winter. For indoor gardening there are two types of to choose from, those that need to be chilled ahead of time and those that do not.

I am going to talk about the bulbs that do not need to be chilled. These bulbs are native to the warmer climates and consist of the amaryllis bulbs and paperwhite narcissus bulbs. These two bulbs can grow in a container with potting soil or in a shallow pot filled with marbles or small stones in order to hold the bulb in position. All you do is add water and blooming can start in about four weeks. In order to keep short sturdy stems start the bulbs out with indirect light and temperature of roughly 50 degrees F. for the first few weeks and then gradually increase the temperature and give them brighter light. If you are going to grow your bulbs without soil, you should cover the bulb about 1/4 to 1/3 of the bulb with water.

Amaryllis is probably the most awe-inspiring flower bulb you can grow as a houseplant. They are the perfect plant for a burst of color into your home during the winter months. The amaryllis flowers are large and shaped similar to a trumpet and their colors come in bright reds, pink, white, peach and some have striped petals. These flowers appear very exotic but are very easy to grow.

I have never tried to grow an amaryllis without soil, so I am going to give you the soil method of growing. When you purchase your bulbs select the ones that are good size and plump with some attached roots.Your container for planting should be half-again as wide as your bulb and use a good sterile potting mixture and leave the top 1/3 of the bulb exposed. This will make sure when water is placed in the container it will not go down the bulb's neck. It is best to keep the soil moist, not wet, and the temperature above 64 degrees F.

Place the potted amaryllis bulbs in bright light and after a couple of weeks you should see flower buds appear. You also want to have enough room in the container to place a support stake for the stem. A good idea would be to turn the pot regularly so the stalk will not lean in one particular direction. Once the flower blooms it will become top-heavy so you want to tie it to the stake.

When you buy paperwhite narcissus bulbs you may want to purchase a dozen or two so you can plant some every few weeks through the month of February. Place them in a dry cool place until you are ready to use them. Paperwhites are easy to grow indoors with their clusters of pretty white flowers and fragrance. Paperwhites I have grown without soil with some success.

Planting paperwhite narcissus is easy to do. They will grow in a shallow pot with marbles, a tall clear vase with rocks and even a container filled with soil. They will look better if you crowd them into a container. Place a shallow layer of marbles, rocks, or soil in the bottom of the container and put the bulbs on top of your planting medium, now cover the bulbs with the same medium making sure to leave the bulb tips exposed.
 
Give the planted bulbs water until it reaches the base of the bulbs; the marbles, rocks, or soil at the bottom will keep the bulbs at the right moisture level. Now place your planted bulb container in a sunny window and remember to water it. If you planted your bulbs in early fall you probably waited a few weeks before they bloomed. If you plant some more around New Year's they will probably bloom in a shorter amount of time. The flower buds will keep on developing in the bulb even if you have not planted them yet. These paperwhites also will need to be staked because the stems get very tall and become top-heavy when they start blooming.

Both these indoor plants are wonderful to have blooming during the winter months and are great for indoor gardening. Both these flower bulbs can be planted in the garden if and when you so desire.