Grow Paperwhite Daffodils This Winter!

We asked our resident gardening expert Steph Spencer to share her top tips for growing paperwhite daffodils. She’s a fan of these beautiful flowers and has been potting some to put in our onsite cafe John St Kitchen for all the customers to enjoy. Steph says “Decorating for Christmas is always made more fun with some fresh indoor plants. So why not have a go at growing paperwhites this year? They're beautifully scented and will look fantastic in your home over the festive season. Bulbs are cheaper than buying fully-grown plants and make lovely gifts. Plus, if you start growing them now, you can enjoy the beautiful blooms at Christmas!”

Here's what you'll need:

15 narcissus paperwhite bulbs

3 plastic pots

A gritty compost mix (2/3 compost, 1/3 grit)

Extra grit for the top

To decorate:

Bunch of 1m long silver birch twigs

Small baubles

Mini fairy lights

Step-by-step:

1. Add a layer of grit to each plastic pot. Then fill with the gritty compost mix

2. Add 5 paperwhite bulbs per pot, about 2.5cm apart

3. Cover with a layer of grit to cover the tops of the bulbs

4. Water, and store somewhere cold, ideally below 10°C

5. Check on them every few days to ensure the compost remains moist but not wet

6. Once you see shoots and leaves up to about 20cm, it's time to bring them indoors!

7. At this point, you can replant them into their final pots, or keep them as they are

8. Add some silver birch twigs into the compost to act as a support - this both looks pretty and prevents them flopping over

10. Drape a few mini baubles on the twigs and wrap mini fairy lights around the whole display

There you have it - a trio of pretty paperwhites to adorn your Christmas table!