Amaryllis grow from bulbs
that can be as large as your fist, and have flowers up to eight inches across,
on tall sturdy stems. As the thick stems grow above the pot, they look like strange
alien beings, and guests are apt to remark “what is that?”.
Once the blooms open up, the question is answered, as the
flowers brighten the room.
Most amaryllis will bloom in six to eight weeks, so November is
the time to buy an amaryllis, either as a plain bulb, or one that is already growing in a pot, and that has
stems emerging from the bulb. The bulbs you can buy that are almost ready to
bloom are usually for red or red and white flowers, though amaryllis can be
found in salmon, white and even lime green. There is a wide selection of bulbs and colors available in online and mail order nurseries.
For beauty I put some gardener’s marbles on top of the
soil, set the pot in a sunny window, water once a week, and turn the pot a few
times a week to keep the stalks growing straight up.When the amaryllis is done flowering, let the leaves die back, and set it in an out of the way corner until next spring when you can water it so it will bloom again, for several years to come.
Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts: Stories To Warm Your Heart and Tips To Simplify Your Holiday
This post written by Terra Hangen
