Keep Wimberley Beautiful

Since there aren’t too many native wildflowers in bloom this winter month, I had to think about what colorful plant I might have around me. Bingo! Why not my two potted amaryllis bulbs, originally from Peru, that have been blooming inside my house for about one month. One of my books claims that “Amaryllis bulbs are the easiest, the showiest, and probably the most favored of all pot-grown bulbs.” These two potted plants were purchased locally for about $5.00 each and they were already in a decent, plastic pot with their large bulbs showing above the soil. The bulbs had sprouted and looked very healthy. I actually buy about 10 of these pots, before Thanksgiving, because I give one to each woman family member who attends my annual Thanksgiving feast. I wound up with two leftover ones, so I have been watching them grow until their full height of about two feet tall. One was in my bathroom that has good light because of a large skylight and lots of windows. The other was on my kitchen island which also has a large skylight over it.

The one in the kitchen sent up two stalks (thick fleshy stems or scapes), one before the other. The first stalk put out four large deep red lily shaped flowers with six petals, three outer and three inner. While these were in bloom, the other scape began putting out its buds. As its blooms began to fade, I brought in the other potted one and watched it come into its full glory. This plant was a beautiful shade of red with pure white stripes and a yellow throat. Beautiful! It, too, showed off its large, funnel shaped flowers for a good three weeks.

Do not overwater amaryllis. They need good light, water and fertilizer before they come into their showiest stages. After these plants have given us their best performance, they may be planted outside or left in their pots for another year. So, next Thanksgiving, remember these beautiful plants. You can enjoy them along with your poinsettias.

Written by Martha Knies