Good Morning,
The sun is rising a bit earlier in the morning, but the air
remains frigid. This morning, the sunrise is spilling the most beautiful shades
of coral and fuchsia onto the snow. When I opened the front door to let the dog
out, the thermometer hovered just a bit above two degrees. The snow is piled up
above the windowsills, and we all eagerly await the arrival of spring.
New England winters are long. Gardeners get the urge to dig
into the soil long before the snow is past. One way to quell our longing, is to
keep a series of amaryllis blooming from December through April. I try to
arrange the bloom time so that there is always one in bloom, and another on the
way.
This year I have used a variety of blossom colors. During the Christmas
season I grew the classic crimson, Amaryllis 'Red Lion'. The showy vibrant red
of the 'Red Lion' is the perfect compliment to the decorations of the
holiday season. In January, I grew Amaryllis 'Minerva'. It was gorgeous, with
blazes of soft red splashed across the white petals. For February, Amaryllis
'Picotee" was chosen. It is the one pictured here. As you can see, it
produces multiple blossoms and sports the most amazingly perfect red margins on
each petal. It has a sunny citrus colored center, which gives it a bit more
panache. It is pleasant company while doing the dishes, or when passing through
the kitchen. In March I plan to grow ‘Apple Blossom”, which has a soft and
distinctly spring-like feel to it.
Amaryllis are easy to grow. If you have never done it before, you
might want to purchase one in a boxed kit. It comes with the amaryllis bulb,
soil, a flower pot, and care instructions. The variety is pictured on the front
of the box, so that you can pick one that you find appealing. Once, you become
familiar with the process, you will find a whole host of varieties in catalogs,
or in your local garden center. It is great fun to watch them grow. Some days, they
seem to grow inches before your eyes.
Spring is not quick to arrive in New England. Toward the end of February,
some of us develop an acute case of cabin fever. We long for the warmth of the
sun, for the vibrant colors of the other seasons, and to walk across a stretch
of green grass. Somehow we find ways to cope. Growing amaryllis is just one of
many.
