paperwhites

There's nothing I love more than fresh flowers in my apartment, but I've been having a hard time lately reconciling my love of flowers with my concern about the environmental costs of importing them, so this winter I decided to grow paperwhites.  Now, in full disclosure, the bulbs came from Israel, but somehow I felt better about having flowers growing in my apartment rather than ones with stems cut that would die in a week (baby steps, I know).  After weeks of the bulbs sitting in a paper bag in my fridge, then a few more just sitting in the pot, I was reconsidering the decision I'd made of buying mine at Home Depot, instead wishing I'd ordered from White Flower Farm, like I did for Jill before Christmas.  But finally, right as I'd almost given up hope, the green stalks poked out, and now the sweet scent permeates my apartment.  Mmm... if only they bloomed all year instead of just in the winter.  Here's the one in my kitchen (the one in the bedroom has sadly already finished blooming)...