Amaryllis’ Are Lovely!
What other flower do you know of that can bloom in time for Christmas and add a pop of natural color to your home, in the middle of winter? Amaryllis’ are so lovely and I really enjoyed growing one, this year.
A Failing Dahlia in the Worst Place Possible
I was looking at the spindly dahlia plant, hanging out in the window of my office, which is the sunniest spot in my apartment (indoors, anyway) and thinking that it never really took off.
I felt sad, looking at it, with it’s yellowing leaves and it’s long stalk that had to be propped against the corner, because it didn’t have enough strength to support itself.
I guess it never get enough sunshine or nutrients or whatever conditions, to produce a bloom. I know it’s more of an outdoor plant, but the conditions on my south-facing balcony were too harsh for it. I did try and ended up bringing it inside.
It was hanging out in my Wealth and Abundance Gua and I just didn’t want anything that rang of inadequacy, in that area, especially.
Decision Time
Should I just cut the dahlia down, save the bulbs, and try again, next year, when I have the proper support and fertilizer for it?
I realized, belatedly, that it was supposed to have gotten fertilizer every 3-4 weeks. Oops. My bad.
I hate to kill a plant, but…it never really LIVED, anyway…
I was sad about that option, but I had a feeling I was going to have to make the tough call.
Should I just do with one less plant? Or was there something else I could put in my Wealth and Abundance area, instead? I wanted something that could really thrive, even in the winter months.
That made me think of the amaryllis bulb that I had, hanging out on the gardening shelf of my utility closet. See pic to the left.
I remember that I really enjoyed watching the amaryllis bloom, last year. I took copious pictures, because I was so excited by its growth, and I even did watercolor paintings of it (see below).
Amaryllis in Time for Christmas?
It’s November 26th. According to Google, it takes 4-12 weeks for an amaryllis to bloom. There are exactly 4 weeks until Christmas. Will it be enough?
Well, even if it doesn’t bloom by Christmas, I’ll still enjoy it, whenever it does. If it does, because that’s always a question. But, I do remember it growing remarkably fast, last year. Hopefully, it will do the same, this year. I am fairly certain that the amaryllis will thrive in my sunny window, because it has done so, before.
Update: It did not bloom in time for Christmas (fortunately, I got a backup that did), but I’m hoping it will in time for my birthday in mid-February.
Color and Life Force Energy!
I think that the red amaryllis will also add some much-needed healthy, vibrant energy to the Wealth & Abundance area of my apartment, which happens to be where I spend much of my time, because it’s my office. I’m really looking forward to that.
I already have a red futon, plus red and burgundy accents, there, so it will also harmonize really well.
Also, check out these watercolor paintings that I did of the amaryllis, for my Christmas cards, last year. I hope you don’t mind my saying so, but I think they came out really well!
How to Pot an Amaryllis
Here are the materials that I used, to plant my amaryllis, in case you want to try this, too.
I use Black Gold organic potting mix plus fertilizer and it works really well for me. It cost about $8 for this bag and I got it at McGuckin’s, which at least used to be a locally-owned hardware store. Black Gold is organic and it’s specifically NOT Miracle Gro. That was really important to me, when I went hunting for potting soil. I don’t trust anything that comes from Monsanto, personally. Miracle Gro is one of their most popular name brands, but I won’t touch that stuff with a ten foot stick. I feel good about using Black Gold, though.
Also shown here are pebbles to put on the bottom of the pot, the amaryllis bulb, Medieval Mix essential oil, a small plastic spray bottle, and the pot that I wanted to plant the bulb in.
Nixing Mold with Medieval Mix
I noticed that the amaryllis bulb smelled like mold, when I took it out. So, I decided to spray it with some Medieval Mix essential oil, because it’s supposed to be anti-fungal, antibacterial, etc. Normally, Thieves would be used for this. Medieval Mix is Acacia’s Thieves knock-off.
Anyway, I put some water and 8 drops of the essential oil into the spray bottle and I sprayed all around the bulb, until it was saturated with the mix.
Potting & Watering
Then I poured the pebbles into the bottom of the pot, to prevent the roots from rotting. What I had in the bowl didn’t quite cover the bottom, so I had to scrounge for some more pebbles.
Then I laid down a thin layer of soil. I put the bulb in the middle and surrounded it with soil, before watering it.
Just the Right Spot
Finally, I placed the freshly potted amaryllis bulb in the sunny window, to activate it.
Do you see the “winter trees” in the background? I know that the bright red and green amaryllis is going to look amazing, with that contrast, and I’m looking forward to seeing it bloom.
Cats and Amaryllis’ Don’t Mix
Amaryllis’ are poisonous to cats, unfortunately. I’ve been wanting to get a cat, but I don’t have one, yet. So, the amaryllis had a chance to come out, again, this year.
If you do have kitties, you might have to satisfy yourself with pictures or paintings of amaryllis flowers. Sorry. It’s better to be forewarned, though, than to accidentally kill your cat with a flower, right?
Where to Buy Your Amaryllis?
I got my amaryllis at Trader Joe’s, in early December. I imagine you can find them at other local stores or on Amazon, as well.
