Amaryllis for Christmas

November is the ideal month to buy an amaryllis bulb and plant it in a small pot for blooms at Christmas.  These photos are of amaryllis from our home. Amaryllis do NOT require a green thumb or much care and they look spectacular as they grow on a thick green stem that reaches up above the pot and looks unusual.

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.

For many more tips see our Christmas book:
Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts: Stories To Warm Your Heart and Tips To Simplify Your Holiday

This post written by Terra Hangen

Amaryllis for Christmas

Anyone can grow spectacular Amaryllis flowers that bloom at Christmas.  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 after planting in six to eight weeks, so if you have less time before Christmas you can speed up the bloom time and buy an Amaryllis that is already growing in a pot, and that has stems emerging from the bulb. In late November or early December buy an Amaryllis with stems emerging for flowers for the holiday. 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.

For beauty you can 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. 

By Terra Hangen

Gift of Amaryllis, Beauty Under $20

AMARYLLIS for a GIFT
You do not need a green thumb to give a gift of a splashy red, ice cool white, lime green, or candy cane striped white and red amaryllis for the holidays. This photo shows my red amaryllis from last year's Christmas, which will bloom again this year.
October or November is an ideal time to buy an amaryllis bulb, and your local plant nurseries will have them now, or very soon.
Bulbs can cost $5 or $10, add a ceramic pot, a tiny bit of potting soil, and your gift is ready to go.
Buy it planning on 8 to 12 weeks before it blooms, so right now is a great time to buy the bulb. Need I say that you too deserve an amaryllis, so you may want to buy more than one bulb.
A hardware store chain in my area is selling these bulbs in a pot for $5 this week, now that is almost unbelievably cheap!
If you buy the bulb separately, plant it in a pot that is only slightly larger than the bulb, with a bit of potting soil to anchor it, and be sure the pot has a hole for drainage and a saucer to set on. Just water once a week and put it in a sunny spot indoors.

Favorite Gift to Order Online, Amaryllis Bulbs

The theme for this week’s posts is a favorite gift to purchase online, and I suggest amaryllis bulbs as surprise gifts, in early November, so that they will bloom at Christmas. Bulbs from Holland will bloom 6 to 8 weeks after planting, and from South Africa, in four to six weeks.

Amaryllis are those spectacular lily like flowers growing on long stems, often in red, salmon, white or splashy stripes.

A favorite source is www.dutchbulbs.com, which sells a wide selection of amaryllis, including San Remo, pink flowers flushed with raspberry, 8 inches across on 16 to 24 inch tall stems and Prelude, red blooms with white edges and center. $14.99 per bulb. Wayside Gardens at www.waysidegardens.com sells Stars and Stripes, red flowers with white centers, from South Africa, 8 inch blooms on 14 inch tall stems, which bloom 4 to 6 weeks after planting. $14.95 per bulb. The photo is of Stars and Stripes.

Buy a big bulb, plant it with a little bit of potting soil in the smallest pretty ceramic pot that will hold it. A typical large bulb grows well in a pot that is five inches tall and eighteen inches around. Heavy pots prevent pot tip overs, since the flowers are so large they can be heavy.