Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Beautiful Blooms

My amaryllis is blooming!

The beautiful trumpet shaped flowers and rich colors
really brighten a winter day.



Amaryllis are easy to grow from bulbs as an indoor house plant and most varieties start to bloom in just about 7 weeks.

I love the pretty warm pink color and the pale green throat.

I always see amaryllis bulbs for sale in my area around the holidays, just before Thanksgiving through Christmas. If planted in early to mid-November, you'll have blooms at Christmas time. You can also order bulbs online from a variety of garden sites to be planted from October through April. We didn't plant our amaryllis bulb until after Christmas, so ours is blooming mid-February.

Amaryllis are surprisingly easy to grow and come in a rich variety of colors! There is really not much of a plant once the blooms are gone. We just set our plant outside for the summer, in the pot it bloomed in, and keep it out of direct sun. Water and feed regularly and the leaves will stay healthy and the bulb will rejuvenate. In the fall, as the leaves start to yellow, I cut back the leaves and remove the bulb from the soil. I just keep the bulb in the garage where it is cool (40-50 degrees F) and dark for at least 6 weeks. After the bulb rests it is ready to be planted again! I plant it in regular potting soil and water it a little. Then don't water again until the leaves start to grow. Then gradually add more water and watch it grow! You can enjoy the beautiful flowers for several weeks depending on the variety. There is more information about planting and care of your amaryllis bulb at Amaryllis.com.

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