GMG's Friday Find: Warm Winter Up with Amaryllis Bulbs

Amaryllis bulbs are exotic, mid-winter treasures that add a burst of color during the winter months to liven up your home or office.  These bulbs are becoming more popular as hostess gifts, teacher gifts and holiday gifts simply because they're beautiful and easy to grow.  And you can get creative with containers too.

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You can group several together in a decorative pot with moss, or even hollow out a pineapple and set some blooms inside.  Place the pineapple vase in a shallow serving dish with cranberries for a cool centerpiece.  To add sparkle and shine, whip some egg whites and brush lightly on the blooms, then sprinkle sugar on top.  When the sugar dries in about an hour, your amaryllis will be as festive as the holiday season. 

To plant your amaryllis bulb, choose a container that is snug and just slightly larger than the bulb, making certain that the container will drain after watered.  Put a couple inches of potting soil in the container, sit your bulb in, root side down and then fill with more soil covering 3/4 of the bulb. Make sure you keep your pot in a warm spot and water lightly to keep the soil slightly moist but not soggy. Amaryllis, like most plants, grow towards the sun so make sure to rotate your container to ensure that the stalks grow straight.

Half the fun is watching your amaryllis grow.  From the first sprout, to the buds, to the huge flowers, you can actually see it grow. Everyone can grow amaryllis, even brown thumbs!  Simple, elegant, and beautiful the amaryllis is the solution to holiday decorating and beyond. 

~Peggy
Garden Media Group