Amaryllis

We've had two amaryllis bulbs for a couple years now and I had the hardest time getting them to bloom. First, we checked the internet and the USDA website (or something affiliated with them) had instructions on how to care for your bulbs. One of the instructions was to stop watering for a couple months so that the bulb will go dormant and eventually put out a flower stalk. So, we stopped watering in October and by January I had given up all hope of seeing them bloom, again.

Then I attended a book group for church and the woman hosting had the most beautiful amaryllis plants and all of them were flowering! Of course, I asked her how she got them to bloom and her answer was "I put them outside in the summer and bring them into the house when it gets cold". But did she water her plants? Of course, when she remembered to. That did it. If someone could manage to get 8-10 flower stalks out of her amayrillis plants with a laissez-faire attitude, then I was going to stop trying so hard!

That night, I moved the plants back to the window sill and gave them a good watering. Within a week, bulb #1 started pushing out leaves and a flower stalk. A week after that, bulb #2 did the same, but at a much slower rate. Bulb #1 shot up with a 2.5' flower stalk and leaves from several places. In a few weeks, we had two beautiful flowers from that plant. Bulb #2 took about a month and a half longer to push the stalk up and flower and is just now getting a leaf. However, bulb #2 had three flowers, as you can see in the first picture.

In any case, I am so excited that my beautiful amaryllis bulbs finally flowered!

Bulb #2 before third flower bloomed.

All three flowers. The two in the back are starting to fade, but I got this picture before they really drooped.

This is my beautiful baby enjoying our first amaryllis that bloomed.