Off to a Good Start

Amaryllis in bloom

A slightly belated Happy New Year!  I normally don't post in the dead of winter but this is something worth sharing.  My amaryllis have bloomed and they look terrific.  Unfortunately, I did not keep the tags for these bulbs so I can't provide their exact names.  I bought them at my not-so-local nursery.  They sell lots of varieties--some more exotic than others.  But if you want just basic white or bright red blooms, you can usually find them at your local big box stores beginning late October. 

Amaryllis take a little longer to get to the blooming stage than paperwhites.  Usually you can count 3 weeks from the time you plant a paperwhite to the time it blooms.  With amaryllis, it's more like 5 or 6 weeks.  Which explains why I never have blooms before Christmas because I never remember to plant the amaryllis that far in advance.  But I'll try to be more on the ball this year and I'll put together a little photo tutorial.

I'll return to weekly (or more) posts beginning in March when I start making preparations and placing orders for this season's garden.  Meanwhile, if you're in a cold place, keep warm this winter.  And if you're in a warm place, all I can say is, lucky you.

Amaryllis in bloom and paperwhites sprouting

Bookshelf:  Container Gardening Books