I have been forcing bulbs for the winter for a number of years.

In years past, I kept them in my garage, which is barely heated. Worked out OK, but they would all grow and bloom by early March.

This year, I decided it would be nice to keep most of them outdoors. So, I brought in about a dozen pots, and put about 3 dozen outdoors with the thought of bringing them in. I did a shallow trench, enough to shelter them adequately, OR SO I THOUGHT. Then, covered with boards, bagged leaves, evergreen boughs. And, I did this against the base of my greenhouse, so the snow falling off would further insulate them.

Well, half an hour of trying to excavate them was for naught -- the organic materials and boards are just all cemented together with runoff water. I could SEE a couple of little sprouts underneath here and there, happily waiting for spring, but I just couldn't get the pots out.

Oh well, perhaps we'll have a February or March thaw, and I can get to them then.

In the meantime, the ones I did bring in are blooming -- right now, I've got hyacinths, crocus, tete a tete's, and another Narcissus cultivar whose name escapes me at the moment.