Three Reasons to Grow Amaryllis Bulbs This Winter

Cold, grey days are so much easier to handle when you have flowers in the house. If you haven’t already squirreled away a winter supply of amaryllis bulbs, here are three reasons to get that order placed as soon as possible:

Amaryllis Dancing Queen

Explore unexpected colors and flower styles

Amaryllis are now in high demand as cut flowers. Commercial growers have responded by expanding bulb production and bringing new and improved varieties to market.

For home gardeners, the choices get better every year.  This season we are offering 28 different varieties of amaryllis, with flower colors ranging from red and orange, to pink, white and green. There are doubles and singles, short ones and tall ones. You can see and learn about some of the more unusual varieties in this blog post: Amaryllis with a Difference.

Amaryllis Sweet Nymph

Amaryllis are excellent cut flowers

Floral designers love working with amaryllis. The blossoms are large, dramatic and very long-lasting. In fact, florists have discovered the amaryllis flowers actually last longer in a vase than they do attached to the bulb.

You can purchase cut amaryllis from most any good-size florist. But why not grow your own instead? You’ll have access to the flowers styles and colors you prefer, and your home-grown flowers will last longer because they are days fresher.

Freeing an amaryllis stem from its bulb opens up lots of new ways to appreciate the flowers. A single stem looks elegant in a tall glass vase, or you can display several stems and complement them with seasonal greens. You can also cut the stems short enough for an arrangement on your dining room table, where they’ll look good on their own or mixed with other cut flowers.

Bigger bulbs produce more stems and more flowers.

Keep the blues away

Winters can be tough for people who love to garden. It’s not just the short days and cold weather. We also miss messing around with our plants!

Though amaryllis don’t really require any gardening effort, they do fill a gardener’s need to nurture. Simply give the bulbs a pretty pot, moist soil, an occasional drink of water, and whatever amount of light the day has to offer. You’ll get weeks of enjoyment watching the bulbs slowly come to life, seeing the first stems emerge, the buds slowly color up and then those big, dramatic blooms. So much joy with so little work.

Amaryllis bulbs are available from October through December. Order yours now so you can enjoy a flower-filled winter. To learn about staggering bloom times to extend the show, read: When Will Your Amaryllis Bloom and How to Have Amaryllis Blooming All Winter Long.