Spring-flowering bulbs need a longer period of chilling to bloom. Crocus, daffodils and tulips are all suitable for forcing, but some varieties work better than others (and are often listed as suitable for forcing in catalogs). Shorter varieties tend to make a better indoor display and won't flop over as easily. And regardless of the type or variety, use the largest bulbs you can get, since the flowers will be larger. Tulips tend to be more difficult to consistently force, with daffodils less so. 'Tete-a-Tete' is a very good variety of small daffodil for forcing. Hyacinths, crocus and grape hyacinths are easier to force.

Preparing the bulbs for forcing is simple. Choose pots with a drainage hole(s) and fill the containers partway with a light, well-drained soilless potting mix. (You may want to put a layer of gravel in the bottom of the pot before adding the potting mix.) Place as many bulbs as you can in the pots without them touching each other or the sides of the pot - crowding them in gives a better show of flowers. Add enough potting mix over the bulbs so they are sticking out of the soil about halfway. Water the pots well.

The planted pots then need to be chilled for 10-12 weeks at 40-50 degrees F. You can just place them in a refrigerator, but some people have good results keeping them in an unheated garage or a cold frame, as long as the temperature doesn't drop below 20 degrees F. But too much freezing and thawing will cause the bulbs to rot, so the consistent temperatures in a refrigerator ensures success. Check the pots periodically and water as necessary to keep the soil moist, but not wet. If you're using a refrigerator, you can cover the pots with an open plastic bag, which reduces the need for frequent watering. You can also place the well-watered pots in a closed plastic bag that won't be opened again until taking the pots out. Doing it this way the soil surface and bulb tops might become covered with an ugly-looking, but harmless, mold that disappears within days and the plants will bloom perfectly. If you're potting bulbs on more than one date, label the pots so you know when to take each out.

Two to four weeks before you want them to bloom, take the pots out of the refrigerator and move them to a warm spot in indirect light for a few days. Then when the sprouts have greened up, transfer the pots to the sunniest window you have, and continue to water as necessary.

Here's some suggested varieties of spring-flowering bulbs that are good for forcing:

Tulips: Apricot Beauty, Bing Crosby, Edith Eddy, Mirjorma, Yokohama, Jingle Bells, Attila, White Dream, Princess Victoria, White Swallow, Estella Rijnveld, Calgary, Gudoshnik, Red Riding Hood, Stresa

Daffodils: Barrett Browning, Dutch Master, Ice Follies, Golden Harvest, Salome, Pink Charm, Flower Record, Louis Armstrong, Unsurpassable, Tete-a-Tete,

Crocus: Pickwick, Rembrance, Flower Record, Peter Pan, Purpurea Grandiflora