Planting Yellow Cheerfulness Narcissus in mid February

This project may be too advanced - or impossible??- for a nearly beginning gardener, but my daughter's wedding is June 23, 2012, and I ordered some Yellow Cheerfulness Narcissus from a mail order company to practice forcing to see if I could get them to bloom around the end of June, with the hopes of ordering more next year to force in pots to use on the tables at the wedding. Is this a lost cause? I am reading some very conflicting information about these bulbs. Some sites say they need a cool, dormancy period, others say they do not need to be chilled. If they were shipped to me last week, have they already been chilled, or do I need to do that first? I only purchased 10 bulbs, so I am not out much. I have access to an old, empty refrigerator, so there is no risk of fruit damaging the bulbs (which I read can happen). I have had them for a few days now, so, not wanting them to die (they had a bit of growth on them already) I put them in pots with soil - 5 bulbs to a pot. I have them in a cool, dark place - about 60 degrees. Should I have put them in pebbles with water, or does it matter? If this does work, do I plant them into the ground this fall, or will they be "forceable" next year again. I am aware that the foliage should be allowed to died back to regenerate the bulb before cutting the foliage back. I am in zone 4b? (Some sites tell me 4, others 5). Sorry for all the questions, but all the conflicting information is very confusing. Thanks.

From the quick research I've done I think they need some chill but not a lot. If you are going to have them for that late in the year you are going to have to keep them cold until sometime in May. By June 23 my daffodils have long since bloomed, done their growing and I've mowed them.

They may or may not be chilled. The description in the catalog should tell you. 60 degrees is not what they mean by cool. To chill them they need to be around 40 degrees or less.

These bulbs most likely force again. Leave then in the pot until they have stopped flowering then set them outside and let them grow until the leaves start to turn brown and fall over. That's about 7 weeks.

I think the hard part is going to be to determine when to bring them out of the refrigerator. The stuff I'm reading says 3 to 4 weeks. What I'd do is buy 3 time what you need and do them at 4 1/2 3 1/2 and 2 1/2 weeks. I suspect they grow faster given how warn it is in June. I'd also have backup plan incase the timing is wrong. You also have to consider how busy you are going to be as the mother of the bride.

Thank you for your response. I will get the pots in the refrigerator right away and bring the first one out around May 10th. I've used the typical Miracle Gro potting soil - not moisture control. Is that okay? Or should I start over with something different? They've only been in the pot two days now and the soil is damp but not soaking wet. Will they need need water periodically while in the refrigerator? When I take them out, I should set them in a sunny window and slowly increase the temperature, correct?

I think they'll be fine. I wouldn't let them dry out in the frig but I wouldn't keep them soaking wet either. I'd make notes about when you brought them out, how warm it was where you grow them and when they bloomed and when they where beyond looking good. It'll give you something to work from net year.