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Under softly diffused fluorescent light thrives a rainbow of flowering plants, including a Sassy Pink achimenes (top), salmon-suffused Rieger begonias (center), red-leaved firefern oxalis with yellow flowers (foreground) and a silver-leaved Miss Kitty begonia (left).

This microcosm of a light garden accommodates a plaid cactus, perched atop an overturned pot sot it gets strong light, as well as a coleus (far right), which proposers in the weaker light near the tubes' ends. The dwarf pomegranate needs regular pruning to keep it within the unit. 

Horsetails, pointing like minarets from the forest floor, show many features of their earliest forebears. The leaves, dark whorls around joints on the ridged, hollow stems, are only rudimentary, and the branches are mere green spikes. By the Devonian, 390 million years ago, horsetails were widespread; some eventually grew 30 and 40 feet tall. 

These crown imperial fritillarias rise regally to tower above flower beds and borders. 

A bed of poppy-flowered anemones makes a long spectacle of the color garden.

Many-petaled double early tulips, all colorful mutations of a variety called Murillo, flower among a mass of grape hyacinths.

A tulip field in Holland blazes with Gudoshnik Darwin hybrids. Such displays attract close to a million tourists each spring. 

Dazzling red tulips with delicate yellow edges point toward the April sun, ready to unfold their tapered petals. A variety called Rockery Master, they belong to the increasingly popular Greigii hybrid class of tulips.

Blue Bismarck hyacinths, set among yellow violas, welcome spring in a burst of color. After the hyacinths' blossoms fade, their leaves are left to mature and wither--masked by the violas, which bloom all summer. 

A brilliant yellow daffodil derives its color from one of many carotenoid pigments, carotenoids also make tomatoes red.

Yellow Sun daffodils, white Van Wereld's Favorite daffodils and red lily-flowered Aladdin tulips brighten a spring garden in Victoria, British Columbia. White Greek anemones, at center, divide the daffodil beds. 

When planted in pots, King Alfred daffodils can be replaced by later blooming bulbs.

Spring bulbs bloom early--indoors. Tulips and daffodils against the green of foliage plants. 

Play a gentle deception on spring flowering bulbs. By a process known as "forcing" (meaning to bring to bloom at earlier than normal date) these daffodils and crocus were coaxed into flowering indoors far ahead of those outdoors.

Spring bulbs such as the crocuses, hyacinths and tulips above will flower indoors from January to April provided they are exposed to cold first. Groups look best in shallow bulb pans, but single hyacinths are often grown in standard 3-or 4-inch pots. 

Even the relatively chilly air of the cool greenhouse can provide superb blossoms in midwinter; the hyacinths, anemones, kalanchoes, geraniums and cyclamens at left thrive in night temperatures of 45°.

Greenhouse preview of spring. This lean-to greenhouse is part of a recent remodeling and joins a family room made from a two-car garage. Floor of greenhouse is sunk 18 inches, letting you look down on flowers.