Amazing Paperwhites

Each year for Christmas my friend, Betsy, gives me a vase with flowering bulbs that soon bloom with a taste of spring. Could be paperwhites (a type of narcissus) or perhaps an amaryllis.

This year's vase, with dogs on it, was perfect for the SSR office so I brought it in and have really been struck by how amazingly fast the paperwhites grow. When I received them on Saturday, they were well below the top of the vase. The photos here show them on Monday and then a week later. I swear, if they were sitting on my desk I'd actually be able to see them growing.

BTW, I found a tip on the web for keeping forced bulbs from falling over--give them tequila (really). It's too late for mine this year but check it out here. Very interesting.