Amaryllis in Bloom

A friend of mine gave me an amaryllis bulb for Christmas. Funny things, bulbs. It always makes me curious how something so ugly can produce something so beautiful. Personally, I think flower bulbs are proof that God and Mother Nature really do have a sense of humor.

I think Nancy was almost embarrassed when she gave me the bulb as a gift. In an almost apologetic tone she said 'If you plant it now, it should hopefully be in bloom by Valentine's day.'

Well guess what, Nancy? You were absolutely right! I planted it just as we left for winter break in December. I placed it in a cute little white vintage McCoy pot and put it in the garden room where it would get lots of light. Almost immediately the leaves began to grow. We've watched the blooms grow recently and knew they were about ready to open. Yesterday morning when we walked through the garden room, we noticed a little bit of red bloom peaking out. Today, one of the blooms is beginning to open up. Red amaryllis blooms ... just in time for Valentine's day!