I love the bright colors of winter bulbs at Christmas. Somehow the colors and freshness of living plants with the rest of the Christmas decorations are such a great contrast. Surprisingly almost any bulb can be forced for winter color but I love Amaryllis bulbs so I grow those each year. I usually try and experiment with new varieties. This year Amaryllis Papilio Butterfly beckoned along with Amaryllis Lime Flare and Amaryllis La Paz.
www.easytogrowbulbs.com
The orchid like flower of the Amaryllis Papilio Butterfly, with its lime green petals and dark maroon accents, is truly exotic looking. It takes about 40 -60 days to bloom so getting it in the pot early is important if you want a bloom during the Christmas season.
www.easytogrowbulbs.com
Since we are on the subject of lime green the Amaryllis Lime Flare has brilliant lime green petals which I just love. This one flowers in 40-70 days.
www.easytogrowbulbs.com
Amaryllis La Paz has similar coloring to the Amaryllis Papilio Butterfly but the maroon is more pronounced and the petals thin and recurved back. Exotic looking as well, they sometimes bloom a little later than the Papilio Butterfly. Allow 50-70 days for full bloom.
When you get your bulbs, put them in a pot with the top of the bulb about 3 inches above the soil level. Evenly moist soil but not saturated will make the bulbs grow well. Since they don’t like saturated soil keep them a little on the dry side. I like to use heavy terracotta pots and keep them there when I bring them in for display. Putting moss around the base of the bulb gives a festive finished look. Because the blossoms are heavy support is usually necessary. I like to use twigs around the outside of the bulb with either twine or raffia to tie it all together. Dressing it up with ribbon or copper wire is also fun.
Mine are in the greenhouse right now. I’m not sure how greenhouse cultivation will effect bloom time but I’ll keep you posted. I would imagine you could manipulated it by planting them at different times to have your bulbs blooming at the same time or through out the holiday season.
Being halfway through November already is a little late in the season for blooms by Christmas. But, do you have a gardener to buy for this year? These wonderful bulbs make a great gift and will provide lovely color this winter to tide your gardener over until spring gets here!
Do you have a favorite holiday bulb or plant? I’d love to hear about it.
