The process begins a full year before the bulbs appear in stores, when they're ordered from Holland. Bulbs are delivered to the greenhouses in August, and within about 10 weeks all the bulbs are potted, then moved to a cooler, where they'll stay for about three months. About 55,000 pots are prepared each year. The grower imports 650,000 bulbs each year, for potting and cut-flower production. It takes five truckloads of growing mix to plant the potted bulbs.
Some bulbs bloom more quickly than others.
If your home is on the cool side, the blooms won't color up as fast, but they'll last much longer. When you purchase a commercially prepared bulb pot, look for roots coming out the bottom of the drainage holes. That means the bulbs have developed a good root system. To plant your own pot of blooming bulbs, line a basket with plastic sheeting. Use bulbs such as daffodils, hyacinths and tulips.