Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)

 

Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

I haven’t grown amaryllis before but was inspired to try by Marlene at ‘Poppy Patchwork’ and Kirsten from ‘A Letter from Home,’ both of whom are recording the progress of their amaryllis plants. Before Christmas, I looked at various bulbs.

I considered a waxed amaryllis. This is a fuss-free form of bulb that requires nothing more than light. It is enclosed in a covering of wax and should produce flowers within six weeks. After flowering, the wax can be peeled off and the bulb composted or planted in soil in the hope of flowering the following year.

I had read that amaryllis can be difficult to encourage into flower in subsequent years and wondered if a previously wax-coated bulb might prove to be even more difficult. I decided against it and ordered a conventional ‘Royal Red’ bulb, already planted in a pot. 

It arrived on Christmas Eve and has grown tall and strong. It has two robust stems and the flower bud on the taller one looks ready to break open very soon.

Then I decided to try a different colour amaryllis and sent off for a red and white striped ‘Dancing Queen’ bulb. To my surprise, two bulbs arrived a couple of days ago.

 They have now been planted. One will remain in the conservatory, where it will get oodles of light, and the other will join ‘Royal Red’ next to the patio door in the sitting room, where the light, though good, is less abundant. It will be interesting to see if they respond differently. It can be six to eight weeks before they flower.