Half-and-half has been declared the winner
in the 2019 Amaryllis Race.
Benfica lagged behind from the start.
A beauty contest will follow shortly.
Will the late bloomer take that prize?
We shall see.
FLOWER
An Amaryllis Race
Amaryllis
Amaryllis Outside
Don’t throw away these holiday flowers.
Save the Amaryllis/Hippeastrum bulbs until spring.
Plant them outside in a sunny location with good drainage.
Add compost to the hole and plant with the shoulders showing.
They will bloom in May or June.
Multiple stems with many flowers will show off for several weeks.
Then cut the stems and leave the foliage.
They will come back every year with more blooms.
I do add a layer of mulch in late fall in case we have a cold winter here in Zone 7.
These are scattered around my gardens to fill in
while waiting for the daylilies to take center stage in June.
You can rescue them for 1/2 price or less in January.
Every year, I add a new Amaryllis outside.
FLOWER
Bloom and Glow
I am so happy to have anything blooming in January, even if it is inside.
My lovely Apple Blossom Amaryllis/Hippeastrum is blooming again.
The second stalk has produced six more blooms.
The last bud has not opened yet and is sticking up to give its five sisters space to spread out.
I love the delicate white petals and pinkish veins, but what I really admire is the shimmer.
The petals look as though they have been dusted with a fine glitter.
When the sun hits the blooms they truly glow.
Apple Blossom Amaryllis is amazing!
FLOWER
Bonus Blooms
A good Amaryllis/Hippeastrum bulb will bloom twice.
If you peek in the boxes from most “big box” stores the contents look like half a bulb because they split them.
My replacement Exotica bulb sent up a stalk of the usual four blooms last month.
It has bloomed another time with six blooms on the second stalk.
Really lovely colors, markings and shapes.
This one’s a keeper.
FLOWER
The REAL Exotica Bloomed Correctly
The replacement bulb for Amaryllis Exotica has bloomed.
It has the expected color and striations.
The apricot color definitely has a red shimmer in it.
I feel sorry for the original bulb, which will now be stuck with the name,
BLOOMED INCORRECTLY, from now on.
They are both lovely. Both will be cared for, nurtured and loved.
Though only one has a pedigree.
FLOWER (Plant Mama)
Subtle Beauty
I do love an occasional screaming flower.
But my heart belongs to the quiet ones.
The ones with the dainty detail, that makes you look twice and pause.
Like this Picotee Amaryllis.
Yes it is white, but with a green throat and a hint of red around the margins.
Beside the screaming red and white “incorrect bloomer”, it may be overlooked.
But let it stand quietly alone, it inspires awe.
FLOWER
Amaryllis Exotica?
Cut Flowers
Were you expecting an arrangement in a vase?
You forget. I am a biologist.
So when I cut a flower, I cut up a flower.
I removed the two sets of 3 petals from the base.
Then, I cut longitudinally into the green calyx and ovary to expose the seed-forming tissues.
Here’s a little lesson in flower parts.
The long, single pistil is the female part.
.
The top end of the pistil is called the stigma. It is sticky to capture pollen that lands on it.
Cutting the ovary in half exposes the developing seeds.
The six stamen produce yellow pollen on the ends. Pollen acts like dust if you shake or touch it.
Pollen looks like rice on 40x.
Pollen is also sticky and sometimes stains clothing. That’s why some florists cut off the stamen. Ouch!
The petal coloring shows up in cells looking like pixels on 40x.
Don’t get mad at me for dissecting my Amaryllis flower.
Your Valentine’s bouquet will die, too. Might as well learn something before you toss it out.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Time-lapse Flower
Watching an amaryllis bloom is like a lesson in life.
The first day, it emerges from the sheath, which falls away like a plant placenta.
The second day, it opens up to reveal that there are two sets of twin flowers.
The larger two will open first. They are opposite each other on the stalk, for balance.
Color begins to blush through the petals as they stretch away from each other.
They are making room for their dazzling, dancing dresses.
The third day, the ruffled and wrinkled big sister buds smooth out their frocks.
On the fourth day, the little sisters begin to grin and show their purple stamen teeth and pistil tongue.
While the two big sisters fling back their petals to expose their shiny, bright faces.
Then they flush with a final burst of color. Like getting prepped for the party of life.
Standing up straight and facing the new day with a fresh face.
FOLLOW the developing FLOWER.
P.S. This is my Monte Carlo blooming for the second time since Christmas.
floweralley 