Paperwhite holiday gifts in milk glass

A couple of weeks ago, before our annual Advent/Christmas party, I planted paperwhite holiday gifts in milk glass. I found the milk glass in antique shops in Guthrie, Oklahoma, where it is still inexpensive. Most of the containers were between $8 and $15. Depending upon the size of the containers, I planted two to five bulbs per pot. Some were planted in potting soil and topped with pebbles while others were just nestled in pebbles.

Paperwhites are easy to grow

Narcissus tazetta, which are not hardy in Oklahoma, look great in milk glass. They are fetching in a variety of containers, but this time, I wanted pots that wouldn’t drain. Because the milk glass doesn’t have drainage holes, no one’s table gets marked by water rings.

You don’t have to water paperwhites very much. If you’d like the stems to be shorter use the Cornell method of pickling your paperwhites.

Also, paperwhites are fun to grow in vintage containers. They are also basically fool-proof.

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Friends don’t give friends ‘Ziva’

Longtime readers know I hate the scent of ‘Ziva’ paperwhites so I chose varieties that were more sweet-smelling. ‘Wintersun’ with its yellow centers is very sweet indeed. I also gave out ‘Inbal,’ a/k/a ‘Inball,’ ‘Ariel,’ ‘Galilee’ and ‘Nir.’

More about milk glass

For those of you who want to know more about milk glass, here’s a good article in Country Living magazine. I suspect many of the pieces I used were candy dishes that lost their lids to history. A great way to reuse and repurpose. I love pink milk glass best, but it doesn’t match my decor. Plus, I already collect too much stuff.

Hello, Spode dishes!

I only gave the paperwhites to people who felt they could take on their care, and as I handed them their gifts, I told them once the paperwhites were finished, they could either throw them away or compost them. Their choice.

Easy peasy and no stress. Plus, a living, guilt-free reminder of the holidays and our gardens.