Create Indoor Magic with Amaryllis

email 2Winter in the midwest is a time of warm gatherings with friends and family. As the snow  appears outside our midwest windows, we can create festive  indoor gardens by growing Amaryllis bulbs. Amaryllis means “to sparkle” and  these plants with lily-shaped blooms provide a dramatic and colorful display.  Fewer bulbs grow as easily or with the show-stopping beauty as Amaryllis.

Did you know that there are over 800 named varieties of Amaryllis?   The most common colors,  which are deep and rich, are red, white, yellow, pink and variegated.

Amaryllis bulbs may be purchased either potted or unpotted. If you purchase a potted bulb, follow directions on the container to grow your plant. If your Amaryllis is unpotted, you are in for a treat. All you have to do is to plant each bulb in a sturdy 6-8 inch pot, pointed end up, so about one-third of the bulb is sticking up above the soil. I like to use organic indoor potting soil when growing bulbs in the house. Water the protruding bulb sparingly and place the pot in a sunny window. When the plant grows to about 2 inches tall, it is time to begin watering regularly, as you would with the rest of your house plants. In about 6 weeks your Amaryllis will be in all of its beautiful blooming glory. To keep your plant blooming as long as possible, keep the pot out of direct sunlight. The sunlight can cause the blooms to wither prematurely.

Want More Amaryllis?

Visit our favorite midwest destination, The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. Each winter the Botanical Garden’s conservatory is decked out with over 1000 breathtakingly beautiful and blooming Amaryllis.  This year the annual show also features another winter favorite, Christmas Rose (helleborous).  For more information about the magical hellebore, see my February, 2015 post.   The Botanical Garden is the perfect place to escape the wintery mix and take in the plant beauty with a leisurely stroll under the dome.

Here’s to happy and mindful indoor gardening magic!

 

© Rita Perea, 2015. All rights reserved.

 

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