Life's little pleasures: a perfect day has a tempting idea for cheering up your home in winter, when most garden plants are dormant.

In the depths of winter the sweet but slightly spicy smell of hyacinths holds the promise of spring. You will find that the white bulbs are the most popular-and definitely the most stylish-so it's worth buying them as soon as you see them for sale in the fall.

Hyacinths are inexpensive to buy in supermarkets, and look great in bulk planted in a bowl or plastic-lined basket or box, with moss packed around the top to cover the earth.

Alternatively, buy bulbs specially prepared for forcing and start them off in a cool, dark closet. Flowering should take between eight and ten weeks, so if you want flowers at Christmas plant the bulbs in September.

When the shoots are at least 1½ in. ( 4 cm) long, move them into a cool, well-lit place for a few days before introducing them to a warmer environment.

Take care not to overwater the bulbs or to expose them to too much heat immediately after they have emerged from the darkness.

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