To Know the Dark by Wendell Berry
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
The autumn is fading and we have begun our descent into the darkest months of the year, a time when we embrace a slumber of restorative rest. The children have declared it cocoa season as they bustle from outdoor play to indoor handwork like rolling beeswax candles and wool felting. And while we are missing simple rituals such as gathering by the hearth, we are dreaming + designing the coziest spaces for our future home while we continue traditions like planting paperwhite bulbs to coax indoors for a winter solstice bloom. By now, the garden beds have been put to rest and we miss the work of growing + tending, so this is a beautiful way to get our hands in the dirt. This year we’ve opted for the Ariel Narcissus, a variety of paperwhite, which you should readily be able to find at your local garden center. This tutorial is for starting indoor bulbs in soil, though you can also grow in water, in which case you’ll want to add rocks to the bottom of your jar for the bulb to rest on. There are several other bulb options such as amaryllis or hyacinth if you’d like, too. We love to pick up extra bulbs to plant in recycled jars as gifts for teachers, mail carriers, or neighbors + friends.
So I brewed the children and I a pot of chamomile tea, laid our soil and bulbs out across the table, and dug in. As we nestled bulbs into their places, crowding them ever so slightly for a truly spectacular show, we whisper spells of sunshine filled days in the windowsill until we wake one late December morning to the scent of musky floral blooms. A magic which happens nearly overnight. And we will be reminded that while the winter world sleeps, the light is beginning to return, and we too will awaken with the pulse of the earth. (Paperwhites will bloom about four to six weeks from being planted.) As we embark on the journey into the winter season, I am wishing you introspection + rest, folks. I hope you enjoy this simple winter ritual as much as we do!
In gratitude + kindredness,
Holly
What You’ll Need:
- Indoor Bulbs
- Container that will allow root growth at least 3-4 inches deep, preferably with drainage
- Potting Soil
- Water
Planting Instructions:
Fill container with potting soil at least 3-4 inches deep. Nestle the bulb(s) snuggly and fill with additional soil need be, so the top one third of the bulb is exposed. Water soil to keep moist, but not wet. Place in a location with plenty of sunlight.
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