Friday, January 29, 2016

The Amaryllis Adventure

Hippeastrum Naranja, amy myers, photography, small sunny garden, desert garden, amaryllis, christmas flowers
Hippeastrum Naranja, amy myers, photography, small sunny garden, desert garden, amaryllis, christmas flowers
Hippeastrum Naranja, amy myers, photography, small sunny garden, desert garden, amaryllis, christmas flowers
Hippeastrum Naranja, amy myers, photography, small sunny garden, desert garden, amaryllis, christmas flowers
Hippeastrum Naranja, amy myers, photography, small sunny garden, desert garden, amaryllis, christmas flowers
In good time for last Christmas, I ordered myself a single Hippeastrum bulb.  

This is becoming a sort of personal tradition: first, because I love amaryllis and second, because I've never had any success bringing them back into bloom for a second year.  Leaves, yes, old leaves that never really die, but no flowers.  There is a sort of frustration to it because I will also never admit that I'm using the plant strictly as an annual.  I must try to carry each bulb through to a second flowering; I can't leave well enough alone.  I am sure that many of my difficulties stem from very warm house temperatures and low indoor humidity.  However, I can't change those factors very well.  

So first there is the glorious anticipation, culminating at last (hopefully just at or before Christmas) when the enormous, brilliant flowers burst fully open on their long stems.  Then there are weary months of wondering when I will stop attempting to salvage another bulb for another season.

This time I selected the variety "Naranja" - a very apt name as the flowers are even more orange than their namesake fruit.  The bulb came promptly and was duly planted in a smallish pot as per all advice.  But this time, with the mild winter temperatures here, I determined to try leaving the pot out of doors to enjoy some real, fresh air.

With results according.

The plant grew much more slowly; in fact, it has only flowered in the last week, over a month later than usually expected.  But the stems and leaves (not much from these yet) are also a good deal shorter and therefore sturdier.  As for the blooms, they are spectacular...  

I have little doubt that the plant has been much more comfortable outside than it would have been in, though I did miss the very direct Christmas anticipation of growing it indoors.

The rest of the story involves the previous year's amaryllis.  I kept it in its pot and continued, as described above, caring for it until its languid and floppy leaves made me decide it had better not stay around the living room at any rate.  Then I transfered it out to the patio and continued watering and occasionally feeding it.  Last autumn I decided to try another tack, so I went ahead and planted the bulb, still with lank green foliage, in the garden.  The leaves eventually died off, but a couple of slender leaves came sprouting up from what must be a bulblet.  Well and good.

And then, three days ago, I found a short spike of green leaf coming up from the original bulb.  Whether or not it will bloom this year, it has at least completed a full cycle of leaf to leaf, the thing I could never coddle my amaryllis bulbs to do in the past.  I am told amaryllis can thrive - perhaps even naturalise - in the garden here, and I am hoping it is beginning to happen.

I know where "Naranja" is going once its luscious blooms begin to fade!  (But wait, it has a second bloom stalk!)
Hippeastrum Naranja, amy myers, photography, small sunny garden, desert garden, amaryllis, christmas flowers
Hippeastrum Naranja, amy myers, photography, small sunny garden, desert garden, amaryllis, christmas flowers
Hippeastrum Naranja, amy myers, photography, small sunny garden, desert garden, amaryllis, christmas flowers
Hippeastrum Naranja, amy myers, photography, small sunny garden, desert garden, amaryllis, christmas flowers
Hippeastrum Naranja, amy myers, photography, small sunny garden, desert garden, amaryllis, christmas flowers
Weather Diary: Fair; High: 70 F (21 C)/Low: 42 F (6 C)


12 comments:

  1. They are a very striking colour Amy. Do you think the original bulbs have been treated in some way to flower in the first year?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've never read that they are, Brian. I've taken to ordering from a specialist bulbs supplier and find the bulbs are more floriferous that way. Perhaps they have an extra season's growth? But I don't really know! At least Hippeastrum won't need a cold period so I am spared that worry!

      Delete
  2. Good luck with the bulb, how fabulous to have naturalising amaryllis!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Jessica! I view it as reasonable compensation for border tulips, which I'm sure will NOT work here... ;-)

      Delete
  3. They DO naturalize here, Amy, so I hope that, in time, you'll be successful in getting them to bloom in your garden too. I had huge success with them in my old garden, where the bulbs I planted in the ground became gargantuan and produced an incredible number of flowering spikes. I planted my first Hippeastrum in the ground here in my current garden the year before last. They bloomed last year but they're not as robust as those in my former garden - yet. I'm looking forward to seeing how they do this year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds very encouraging, Kris; I can only imagine being confident in them as border plants! I hope your current ones bulk up in the same way. Did you find much difference among different varieties?

      Delete
  4. What a sumptuous colour those blooms are Amy - just gorgeous!
    I do hope your outdoor trial is a success - I give you 10 out of 10 for patience. As they say everything comes to she who waits. My fingers are crossed for your bulbs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it!! I was hesitant to try an orange one but very happy I gave it a go as it turned out to be a very rich near-scarlet! Thanks so much for the encouragement - sometimes patience is the only chance a gardener has... ;-)

      Delete
  5. Amy, It really is such a scrumptious color! So unusual - I like the red for Christmas but like you I have tried some other colors too and I think I really prefer them. This one looks really healthy and vibrant and how wonderful that it gave you another flower spike. I really hope that by planting it outside it will come back again. If you find any information along the way, please let us know. They naturalize really well here in Florida, but I'm not sure if and when I can dig them up to have them flower inside for Christmas. The ones that have naturalized here flower in the spring, so I was wondering if I dug them in late fall if that would be the correct time to plant them up for inside. Goodness, I have so many things to try and wonder about - my list keeps growing!! Lol!
    - Kate

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, you are definitely ahead of me with them, Kate! We'll just have to share info on anything that comes up - forgive the pun! The one I planted from last year has a whole set of leaves coming; I just know it's too much to ask it to bloom this year too... or is it?! At any rate, it would be just about right if set for spring bloom. As they need no cold period, surely one could dig them for Christmas? Do yours go completely dormant in the garden at any point?
      I think garden blogging increases the list of things to try considerably!! ;-)

      Delete
  6. Amy, mine never seem to go dormant. I wish they would because that would be an obvious time to dig them I suppose. I think I might just dig up a couple in September, cut the leaves off and just leave them to dry. Then I suppose I will see if they send up new leaves and flower when I plant them in pots for the winter...worth a try!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I suppose if they've stored away enough nutrients (which would surely be the case!) that might be a good way to do it. This was a difficulty I always had with them in pots - they would never go dormant despite what the instructions say...! It took the shock of planting, plus a bit of cold, to get "Ambiance" into any kind of dormancy. I'll be very curious to see whether it goes dormant regularly during summer here.

      Delete