Amaryllis

Stargazer

         I love growing amaryllis in the winter.  When it's freezing outside and I can't "garden" outdoors I turn my attention to indoor houseplants, especially my amaryllis bulbs.  They are so beautiful and are easy to grow.

Minerva

I put mine into storage a little late this year but should have a succession of blooms from January to March.  After they bloom I cut the flower spike back and let the leaves grow during the summer in my little greenhouse.  They don't need a lot of water and I'm careful not to get the tops of the bulbs wet as they are susceptible to rot.  They do benefit from monthly fertilizer during the summer months.

I cut the leaves back in the leaves back sometime in October and put them in storage for 8 weeks in a box in my garage.  I repot them in fresh soil and  like to cover the soil with moss to give them a nice finished appearance.  

                        Stargazer and Samba

I ordered a few new varieties this year from Brecks and got those potted up a couple weeks ago.  They have already grown and each have two flower stalks.  I purchased a Stargazer, Samba and Double Aquaro to add to my collection. 

I

Alfresco

I have grown Alfresco, Hot Lips, Red Lion, Amalfi, Dancing Queen, Apple Blossom, Christmas Star and several Minerva.   

Almafi

                                     Minerva

If you haven't tried growing amaryllis I highly recommend them especially if you live in a cold climate.  They can really brighten a cold winter's day!

Stargazer

Winter Flowers, Plants and Mom

Winter seems like a long season
 to me because I miss flowers and

 gardening so much. 
I am grateful for the break from garden 
chores but would be happy with only one
 month of winter! 

Our little greenhouse has helped me through this winter so far, but I still want flowers 

to enjoy daily so I have added more 

blooming plants in the house,
 especially in my mother's room.
  I think it's so important to help the elderly stimulate their senses and give them something to watch and grow.  Mom is so excited with each new bloom. 

  

I've been taking  care of my mother full-time  for over a year now in our home.  She is from Florida and is a real plant lover and enjoyed gardening when she was more mobile.   She now has a south facing window with lots of sunshine so she wanted to start a small collection of her favorite plants.  Mom's little "garden window" is full of easy to care for houseplants  and some seasonal plants as well.  I've added amaryllis and paperwhites to her collection for the holidays.  

She has several pothos plants, a snake plant, a ponytail palm, philodendron and a 
peace plant on the lower shelf.  
The top shelf is for blooming plants and she especially loves red amaryllis.  This variety is Red Lion.  

 I seasonally rotate other plants in her
room like amaryllis, orchids, tulips, daffodils,

Christmas cactus and ferns.   

Red Lion Amaryllis





I found at pink cyclamen and a delicate maidenhair fern at the nursery this week and placed them on her bedside table. 

 Studies have shown that women who surround themselves with plants and lots of greenery live longer.  As an added bonus plants help purify the air quality indoors too, making our enviornment healthier.




Summer bouquet from our garden

 We are bringing the outside in for Mom so she can enjoy her "little garden".  We also have bird feeders right outside her window.  She enjoys all the bird's visits especially the cardinals and a pesky squirrel. 


I follow Dee Nash at Red Dirt Ramblings and she has some great information about growing amaryllis and paperwhites on her blog this week.    She also lives in Oklahoma and is my go-to person for
 gardening questions. 
She is a great source of inspiration!

Beautiful Blooms

I love growing indoor bulbs like amaryllis because I don't have to be concerned with late freezes like out in the garden.   When everything is gray and dead outside they bring a glimpse of the spring to come.  

I purchased my bulbs for $5 and planted them around the first of December.   They are so easy to grow and when they  begin to bloom from what was an ugly oversized bulb, I wished I had bought more to enjoy.         

(Myriad Botanical Garden Conservatory)

More snow is headed our way here in the heartland!

We've had a few days of record breaking 

high temperatures in the 70's which was amazing, however my daffodils and tulips have grown more than usual and now I worry their blooms will be damaged for spring.  There is nothing prettier than a bouquet of daffodils on the breakfast table!

I am really enjoying the gigantic crimson blooms of my amaryllis and hoping mother nature gives us a bounty of blossoms in our gardens this spring.   

Counting the days until spring!