Posts Tagged: amaryllis

Amaryllis in August?

Last week, my husband came in from the sideyard where I store my unused plant pots and asked, “Did you know your amaryllis is blooming?”  I responded, “What amaryllis?” 

Sure enough—I have a beautiful amaryllis blooming in August!  What a treat!

Each year I buy an amaryllis bulb for the holidays.  Even though I know that amaryllis bulbs can bloom again, my approach to post-bloom care is haphazard at best.  When the plant is done blooming, I put it outside and water it for a few weeks or months until it dies back completely.  Sometimes I don’t water it at all.  Either way, eventually I set the bulb aside and forget about it completely.  Occasionally, a bulb will bloom again in late fall or around the holidays.  But in August?!  Apparently I started the dormant period a bit early this year.  Anyway, it was a delightful surprise!  

If you are interested in the correct way to make an amaryllis bloom again (including deciding when you want the plant to bloom) you can find a fact sheet on the United States National Arboretum’s website at http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/AmaryllisBloom.html.

Now, I’m off to check on my other amaryllis bulbs!

The August Amaryllis. (photo by Erin Mahaney)

The Ladies Are Almost Here!

I'm referring to the sweet, pink Amaryllis belladonna bulbs in my garden, also commonly referred to as "Naked Ladies." In case you're not familiar, they are the stalk topped by several clusters of pink trumpet-shaped flowers. What makes them so striking are the naked stalks with no leaves, just flowers, thus the nickname "Naked Ladies."

I love that they have a lovely fragrance. It's also nice to know that they do just as beautifully in our hot Mediterranean climate as they do on the foggy, cool northern California coast . As long as they are treated to warm, dry summers in well-drained soil, they'll do well for you for a very long time.

My first batch of these bulbs (about 5 bulbs) were given to me about 14 years ago in a brown paper bag by my Uncle Bob. He passed away several years ago, and his wife, my aunt, just recently went on to be with him, so this years bloom is bittersweet to see. Anyway, in the years since, I've divided the bulbs a few times (they don't appreciate being disturbed, especially at the wrong time), so that now I have these little beauties popping up all over my backyard. They are a gift that keeps on giving, year after year.

The Naked Ladies. (photo by Jennifer Baumbach)

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