13 December 2007

Amazing amaryllis



Just over a month ago, I wrote a post about amaryllis, the same day I planted two new bulbs. I've long been besotted by these fabulous,. showy plants, and even though there are plenty of other things in bloom in the house at present, I've been wanting to see these blossom. So I left them in the kitchen where the warmth prompted them to get growing fairly quickly.


What always amazes me is how fast an amaryllis can go from bud to flower. Just a few days ago, the shoot of one bulb elongated, and the buds began to swell. This shot was taken Tuesday afternoon....


This one Wednesday morning...I'm getting excited now because I can see the colour and patterning, and I love what I see.


This one in the afternoon (notice the watercolour background of the sky as the sun went down)


And this one later in the evening.


And then this morning I was greeted by the big smiles of two open flowers, with three more to come. A bit of an early Christmas present, but a nice addition to the poinsettias, cyclamen, and Christmas cacti that are blooming their heads off in various parts of the house.

Interestingly, the other bulb has just barely started poking its flower bud shoot up from the bulb. And I haven't planted my bulbs from the summer yet, because I was late bringing them in this fall, and they need at least 6-8 weeks resting before I replant them.

And so this one will last longer, I'll move it into the living room, which is cooler, so I can enjoy its perfection for a couple of weeks.
I almost forgot (it's been one of those weeks). If you seriously want to learn all the nuances about growing amaryllis, including how to pot them properly, propagate them, and more...check out Mr. Brown Thumb's site about amaryllis bulbs. This guy is becoming one of my hort heros, not only for the information he shares about gardening, seed collecting and propagating, but for the other generous things he does, like explaining the nuances of blogs, domains, and more. So here's two thumbs and an amaryllis up for Mr. Brown Thumb's public spiritedness (and his wicked sense of humour, too!

11 comments:

  1. I love amaryllis just the same way as you. Yours is beautiful!

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  2. Yes, That's what we really need now: living green and flowers.
    Why can't we cherish beauty of sleep??
    I know, just teasing :)
    Autumn and winter sleep have specific mortal look, or maybe rather it is cold that puts us away?
    If it would be beautiful and green outside, but very cold (just very theoretical situation) would we like to stay out there? nope.
    I feel like this, cos it just started to snow and I have to go outside :(
    Greetings,

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a gorgeous Amaryllis you've got Jodi, I love the stripey ones. Right now I have a plain red one that's almost ready to burst into bloom, can't wait for that to happen!

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  4. It was an exciting series of photos leading to the opening of the amarylis. Love seeing that splash of color pop onto the photo.
    I might have to go find me one today so I can see it in person. This purchase will be all your fault of course. ;)

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  5. hi jodi: i love the way you've journaled your bulbs and captured the timing of the blossom. they are a remarkably fast flowering bulb once they get started.

    my amaryllis are in the ground all year only last spring they were ambushed by giant grasshoppers who gnawed their foliage to the ground. sigh

    i am always in awe of folks who grow flowers indoors. it is something i don't even attempt. to me, it takes a lot more savvy to make that happen than the seeming ease of growing outdoors. hats off to you on your beautiful indoor flowers.

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  6. What a beautiful amaryllis. This year was the first time I got amaryllis and I'm in love. I planted mine about 2 months ago and they have been slow to grow. All I have are leaves, The parent is 16 inches tall while the offset of 6 inches tall. I really can't wait to see mine bloom after seeing your photos.

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  7. I love the time-lapse photos and getting to watch that beautiful bud grow up! I haven't had any amaryllis for a couple years and now I REALLY miss having them around. ... it's not too late to add that to my wish-list...

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  8. My mom had the very same variety of Amaryllis, Jodie. She couldn't remember what kind it was, but I took photos of it so she could paint it. I've not seen one like it until.....now! Great shots of a beautiful process and gorgeous flower. Debi

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  9. Yummy! By this time next week, I should have one in bloom, too. I can't wait! I've got too many amaryllis bulbs, just like houseplants (LOL), and the amaryllis season is just beginning. I'll have bloom until spring. I absolutely love amaryllis!

    I plant mine out in the garden in the spring, where they sprout foliage and the bulbs get bigger. Once in awhile, one will even bloom.

    There are so many gorgeous varieties now. Great time-lapse photos, Jodi!

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  10. Jodi - I read Mr. Brown Thumb's blog about bibledesk.com and tried what he did - typed in the blog reversing the s and the p on both my blog and yours. Sure enough, it opened a bible group's page. Is Google aware of this? I wonder how we'd notify them that it's happening. Kind of weird, isn't it?

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  11. Hi Jodi,

    You got a real nice one there. One of my most recent purchases isn't looking too hot but I'm hoping it grows enough to bloom the scape hasn't grown much but it is threatening to flower and as long as it flowers so I can see what the color is like I'll be ok.

    @Victoria

    There isn't much one can do about it. Unfortunately it is a common practice.

    There is an organization you can turn to to dispute cases involving domain names but that's usually reserved for instances where someone does something like steal your domain or infringe on your trademark.

    ReplyDelete

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