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Flower bulbs can be persuaded to bloom early when planted indoors. This means you can enjoy beautiful tulips, daffodils and other springtime flowers far earlier than during spring.

Chose the healthiest-looking spring flower bulbs you can find in autumn. Plant in a half-filled container of potting soil, remembering to plant the bulbs with the tip pointed upwards. Plant bigger bulbs deeper in the container, cover with soil, and layer a selection of smaller bulbs on top of the gaps between bulbs. Cover with soil and water.

Leave the container covered with straw in some area that will remain cool and dark – a garage or crawlspace, for example. Leave for a ‘chilling period’ in this space. A chilling period is the amount of time the bulb needs to begin bud formation, or new growth – it is also known as vernalisation. If you have planted a variety of different flowers, find out the longest chilling period needed and leave them for that length of time.

Once the chilling period has finished, bring the container indoors to a warm and sunny room. The bulbs will bloom beautifully, creating an early springtime indoors.

To save the bulbs for next year, wait until all the foliage has died away and remove them from the container. It is recommended to leave them to rest, converting the energy they absorbed from sunlight to nutrients for blooming, for 1,000 hours, or 12 weeks. When this time is up, you can plant them and once again enjoy their beautiful blooms.