A Show of Force

Okay, not a show. In fact, barely an appearance. Last November, after I finished planting my daffodils (Narcissus cvv) outdoors, I had maybe a dozen bulbs left over. I thought I'd force them in pots, in my unheated garage. The result? Two flowers, one now open, one bud. The remaining bulbs put up leaves, but no flowers appear to be in the offing. I'm guessing the problem is with the bulbs, as I did the same thing a couple of years ago, and got flowers from everything I planted.

Probably Narcissus 'Dutch Master'

I had better luck forcing some Forsythia, but then again, all I had to do was cut a few branches and bring them inside. They went from bare stems to flowers in about three days.

Forsythia cv sharing a vase with a few Pussy Willow (Salix discolor, I think) branches purchased at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show

In other news, the flower bud on the Parodia I purchased at the Flower Show has opened:

Parodia haselbergii. The flower appears deeper red to the naked eye.

In still other news, Part 2 of my Flower and Garden Show will appear tomorrow.