For when the light is down low...

A few readers found "paper whites" for sale, bought them and now wonder if they can plant them indoors. Of course! These daffodils have been prepared for exactly that. They have been subjected to just the right amount of cold to break their dormancy. They are ready to flower as soon as they get some leaves. If you see some for sale, by all means buy them. It is possible you will have flowers by Christmas.

We plant ours in special vases collected over the years, but lacking these you can use a plate full of pebbles, or even plant them in soil. The only thing you have to do is suspend the bottom one-quarter inch of the bulb in water. Roots will develop, then leaves and flower buds. Warning: if you don't give them good light, they will topple over. Again, another use of a lighting system. Also, they have a very sweet and strong smell that not everyone likes.

Next, I have several readers who don't want to get grow lights. They want plants that will adjust to our conditions instead and ask for a few low light plants they can keep. While I still insist that all Alaska homes should have at least one set of grow lights, there are lots of low light plants that I regularly recommend.

The best one that fills the bill for the low light Alaska home is Dracaena sanderiana. A few years back you would have wondered what this is, but once I tell you that it is now commonly called "lucky bamboo" plant you probably will see it in your mind. In Asia, large containers with woven plants are often given to merchants when they open their shop. Somehow, these became a big marketing gimmick and popularized the plants which are not in the bamboo family, incidentally.

A bit more colorful are Aechmea. Again, this may not ring a bell, but anyone who has walked through the Captain Cook Hotel (and who hasn't?) in the middle of the winter has seen the lovely pineapple-like bromeliads with pink flowers. This is another plant that actually requires low light. These will hold those flowers for months, as well provided there is water in the cup formed by the leaves.

Finally, when it comes to low lights, "snake plants" and "mother-in-law's tongues" and other Sansevieria are pretty hard to beat. Not only do these do fine in the lowest of light conditions, they don't need much water.

While I still insist you get some sort of lighting system, these and other low-light-loving plants can be purchased at florists, the supermarket and the nurseries that stay open during the winter -- who deserve your support now so they will be here in the summer.

Finally, the big question for the past few weeks has been when to fill the bird feeders. That time has finally arrived. Any self-respecting bear that is still up probably isn't wandering around looking for sunflower seeds, but rather a good place to hibernate for the rest of the long winter.

So, fill 'em up, turn on the bird cams (wingscapes.com) and don't forget to get out those bird books. "The Sibley Guide to The Birds" and "Birds of Alaska" are available locally and online. It is always fun to keep a list of what you see. And while you are looking out the window, you might want to consider where you need to make some landscaping changes next spring.

Jeff Lowenfels is a member of the Garden Writers Hall of Fame. You can reach him at teamingwithmicrobes.com or by calling 274-5297 during "The Garden Party" radio show from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays on KBYR AM-700.