Houseplants are used to alleviate cabin fever (in winter). Houseplants that are suitable for this purpose will grow quickly enough to allow you to see the changes day-to-day. They also flower, giving off the impression that gardening is actually taking place. Flowering bulbs will do the trick. Both the tender bulbs that can tolerate artificially heated houses and the hardy bulbs that are tricked to bloom early, will work well.

This winter, I grew Madeiran Squill for the first.

I planted them over a month ago because I did not want them to bloom before I needed them. I wanted them blooming after the holidays. After my Thanksgiving and Christmas Cactuses had been finished. The bulbs did not come with instructions, so I covered the tops of the bulbs with soil. Leave the neck of bulb exposed to prevent it from rotting. However, as you can see, mine did just fine. You can find more detailed directions here.

After three weeks, the foliage was spotted and the bulbs sprouted.

The bulbs bloomed in just over six weeks from the time they were first potted, which was a lovely contrast to the cold and snow outside.

The third flower did not really bloom. It’s hard to tell if it’s because I watered it inconsistently or if something happened before I got the plant. It was never much and now it is dry and shriveled. Even though the other two flower spikes are past their prime, they still look beautiful. I’ll cut off the flowers in a few days.

Madeiran squill ticks all the boxes

• It’s easy to start
• Flowering is relatively quick
• Attractive foliage
• Beautiful flowers

What’s there not to love? They are more expensive than hyacinths but cheaper than amaryllis. Amaryllis are larger. I don’t know if I can grow them well enough to have them flower next year. The sun they receive in winter will be much less than on Madeira. They’ll need to get as much as they can until they dormant. Like amaryllises they may even bloom before I expect them to next year.

I tried them all, but they were lacking.

Since I can’t find the perfect spot to force hyacinths to bloom, I must buy them almost fully-blooming and pre-forced. My family complained about the smell of ‘Nir,’ another variety of paperwhites I bought this winter.

Even when they are in full bloom, their appearance is no longer appealing. You can stunt them by forcing them into water with alcohol. This method hasn’t yielded as many bloom.

The best way to keep cabin fever away is by planting a flower every day

The Madeiran squill has become my favorite way to combat cabin fever. Cabin fever is a real thing. It’s no wonder. Last year, we had a thaw mid-January. I could see the snowdrops emerging. (No, they are not yet blooming but at least they have emerged from the ground!) My vernal witch-hazel bloomed by January 29th, last year. The first winter aconite bloomed on February 23rd, and snowdrops appeared the following day, even though they had not opened.

This winter was more wintery than ever. It is rarely above freezing and more than an inch of snow falls every week. There is no reprieve and there are no small signs of hope. I try to recall that last winter, while intermittent, lasted a long time.

In May, we had snow that did not melt when it was touched. Then, a week later, it was hot as summer. I’ll take the snow in February if it means a milder and more mellow month of May. But I have no choice, do I not?

Then I take one day at time and nurture my tough soul with indoor plants. The Madeiran Squill is dying down, but the amaryllises from last year are sending out flower stalks. The clivia has a hint of orange. Increased daylight is causing new growth in the foliage plants. Spring will arrive eventually.