Sunday, May 11, 2014

Mother's Day day-brightener

I brought my amaryllis bulbs out really late this year, because the weather was so cold that the windows where I set them just seemed too cold for them to make good progress. I usually bring them out in January or February, but this year it was March 14th. 

It's a gloomy, rainy day outside today, but I love it that I have a beautiful flower opening inside. Lovely timing! This one will be even prettier when it's gets fully opened:


And it has even more buds that will open soon:


And a whole 'nuther flower stalk on its way!


My 34-year-old(!) red one is also about to start blooming:


Remember the amaryllis problem I had last year? Thankfully, there's not a sign of it this year on any of my plants! Clean and sturdy as could be:


I don't know what made the difference. I didn't do a thing.

BTW, that little leaf in the bottom corner of the photo above is from the new baby bulb that I divided off from its pinkish "mother" in March. It and the mother are doing well, but neither is going to bloom, apparently. I guess the separation was a bit traumatic for them.

Speaking of that separation, I just cut the little bulb off the bigger one. THEN I looked up how it was supposed to be done. Oops. I guess I should've just twisted it off. Oh, well... I didn't kill either of them, and hopefully they'll both bloom next year. Incidentally, in case you wondered... I read (before doing it, thankfully - years ago, in fact) that one should wait about 4 years before separating them... or until they're of equal size. Well, mine were nowhere near equal size, but I think it had been 4 years since the baby was "born".

Oohh... all this talk of "mothering"... ha! Here's wishing all you moms out there a VERY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

4 comments:

annie dee said...

Speaking of amaryllis, I re-potted about 2 dozen bulbs from a couple of friends. Some red; some red with white. Yours are way ahead. I look forward to more beautiful photos! Happy Mother's Day!

Grandma G said...

Two dozen - wow! Where do you put them all? Don't your cats bother them? I have to keep mine in a closed bedroom... thus I don't get to enjoy them as much as I'd like.

annie dee said...

I got a bunch of big ceramic containers for the back deck from Ross Stores over the weekend. I am lucky to have friends with amazing gardens who have given me many cuttings (amaryllis, succulents, firecracker plant to name a few). As for the cats, they haven't bothered the few containers I've had for a year so I hope they will leave the new pots alone. I'm guessing I will need to use some kind of support when/if there are any blooms on the amaryllis. And I still need one more big pot for something else I'd been given - don't remember its name. Lowe's also had caladium and elephant ear bulbs half off. I treated myself to freesia bulbs already. I may be going back to Lowe's or Home Depot this week.

Grandma G said...

You're a lot more ambitious than I am! My number of house plants keeps going down. Although that has something to do with the cats, too. Houseplants aren't as enjoyable when you can't have them out where you can see them! My cats need to take lessons from yours!!