Queen of the Garden: The Amaryllis

Finally some color in the garden (besides of course, the weed). The first plants are blooming since tuesday and one I've already snipped to decorate our receptionist desk.

Amaryllis bulb flowers are one of those superb (and easy to grow) plants that you have to be in awe over. Those huge blossoms poking up in the middle of winter simply never fail to win gardener’s hearts. The breeders have gone nuts with these amaryllis bulb flowers and have given us all colours and all sizes. There’s a plant for every discriminating gardener and house decorator. You may have to search the Net for some of these varieties as not all garden centers will carry this extensive a selection. But that’s half the fun!

There are two distinct types coming on the market now – the “Christmas Flowering” and the “Winter Blooming”. Christmas flowering types are genetically from the Southern hemisphere and are predisposed to flower in the winter months everywhere else (when it is summer here).