KDHamptons DIY Holiday Decor Tips: Get Busy With Bulbs!

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Here’s a fun KDHamptons DIY project that will spruce up your Hamptons holiday decor…

I love the signature scent of Paper Whites [Narcissus] during the holiday season. When you walk into a room filled with this fragrance you immediately feel like it’s Christmas. Ornate planters of blooming Narcissus can be purchased at all of the great Hamptons floral boutiques, or you can choose your own bulbs and design your own arrangements that will be in full bloom by Christmas if you make them now. I also love big chunky blooms of Amaryllis [see photo below] which sit upon tall green stalks.

 

 

 

Blooming Narcissus will fill your room with their beautiful sweet fragrance.

 

 

 

For inspiration each season, I pop into Marders Garden Center in Bridgehampton, Lynch’s Garden Center in Southampton, as well as Topiaire Floral Boutique, to pick out my bulbs and see what cool ideas the experts are coming up with this season. Bulbs are so easy to plant and don’t need a lot of care. The best part is that they look just as interesting as they begin to grow as they do when they bloom. Get creative and try some of my ideas below:

 

 

 

First, pick out the bulbs you like according to the photos on the box front. Marders has a fantastic selection.

 

 

Bulbs can range greatly in price, size, color, and fragrance so be sure to check the package details. One giant Amaryllis bulb may have three separate blooms so you may just need one per arrangement.

 

 

A tower of bulbs at Marders

 

 

 

I planted this giant Amaryllis bulb with beach rocks and shells. It will boast three big white blooms in my guest bedroom by Christmas.

 

 

 

Marders sculptural concept of housing the bulbs in glass vessels with stones in the base

 

 

 

Bundle up and hit the beach to collect white rocks, shells, and a few pine cones to use in your display. I scored a bunch at Circle Beach in Sag Harbor (above).

 

 

 

This is called a "cascading" arrangement. The bulbs are planted on their side so the green stalks grow out and up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like to think outside the box when choosing planters as bulbs do not need a great amount of watering or drainage. Marders plants bulbs in carved out white pine logs [two above] and I chose the above blue and white porcelain serving bowl that was sitting in our china cabinet for my Narcissus, accented with a few seashells sprinkled between bulbs.

 

 

 

You don't need soil if you are using rocks to hold your bulbs. Only fill the vessel with water to the root point.

 

 

 

White Amaryllis bulbs in full bloom.

 

 

 

Gently change the water out twice a week.

 

 

 

I used three paper white bulbs for my master bath arrangement, plus a starfish and a few shells to the beach rocks

 

 

 

 

My blooming paper whites in our guest bath

 

 

 

Check out all of the varieties of Amaryllis at Lynch's — so many beautiful colors and combos.

 

 

 

Paper whites in a rustic wooden planter at Topiaire.

 

 

Marders Garden Shop is located at:
120 Snake Hollow Road
Bridgehampton; .631.537.3700
www.marders.com

 

Topiaire is located at: 51 Jobs Lane
Southampton; 631.287.3800;
www.topiaireflowershop.us