The "encouraged" bulbs that I gave up fridge and shelf space for were...well, frankly, it didn't go so well. I'm not sure if I didn't chill them adequately, or if it was the mold? Or maybe we had fruit in the fridge that retarded the blooms?
There were a few sorta-kinda successes.
The Amarylis was gorgeous, but a little unwieldly. I think next year I need to study up on how to keep it from getting so leggy. I need to aim for nice short, stout little stalks.
The Paperwhites were also nice, but next year I need to either plant in a bigger container or less bulbs.
Unfortunately almost everything else was pretty disappointing.
The "Tete-a-Tete" Daffodils looked like they might do ok, when the first one bloomed. By the time more started to bloom though, the first were terribly raggedy. I kept hoping for a pretty little pot full, but they were so staggered that it just never worked out.
The "Greigii Diantha" tulips also began well. The leave variegation was really pretty at first, but then they got brown at the tips. (I watered them, I swear!) They're still sitting in my windowsill with no sign of a flower any time soon.
The "Woodstock" Hyacinths almost bloomed. And they were pretty in their forcing glasses if nothing else. The chilled ones did a little better than the unchilled (which pretty much looked dead as they were blooming) but just a very little.
The worst disappointment was the Lavendar Muscari. Each little corn put up a single green shoot, that promptly began to turn brown and die.
I'd like to say I'll try again next year--and I suppose I might on a smaller scale--but really that was a lot of work for what I got out of it. And from a cost standpoint it's just as cheap (if not cheaper) to buy professionally "encouraged" bulbs.
BUT as soon as we're properly situated somewhere I want to plant a whole plot of the "Greigii Diantha" tulips--the leaves were too pretty...while they lasted.
