Potted Amaryllis Bulbs

A blooming amaryllis from last year

I love having flowers to brighten up the middle of winter, when it’s dark all the time and freezing cold. Winter is hard - the holidays are over, the sparkle packed away and spring feels incredibly far off. The amaryllis is an ideal winter plant - cheerful and fairly easy to care for.

It takes 6-8 weeks for the bulbs/plants to bloom so it requires a little forethought. This year I have 2 - a plant that I’ve left dormant in the basement (they like to be ignored in a cool dark place for a couple of months before starting a new cycle) and a “new” bulb passed on to me from someone who no longer wanted it.

Over the weekend I brought my old plant up from the basement, trimmed off the dead leaves and gave it a good watering. I also planted the new bulb in a pot with some dirt, surprisingly it was already sprouting a bit. They should bloom in mid to late January, the perfect time for a little color.

(Note: While I planted the bulbs outside for less mess, I immediately brought them indoors to live)