Who'd like an Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) thread?

[daisychain01]

I treated myself to 3 Amaryllis bulbs from M&S last week and reminded myself what a great addition those lovely big chunky bulbs are to the Christmas season.

It's such a positive feeling, giving them a water and watching them turning green and the leaves emerging over the weeks, when most things in the garden are going to sleep.

The bulbs I chose are:

Dancing Queen
Apple Blossom
Minerva

Lesson learned from last year - stake them up before the flowers form, as their stems aren't always strong enough to hold the multi-flower varieties upright. One of nature's design flaws! Supporting them when the stem is just emerging helps it a lot. Other than that, they are remarkably self-sufficient.

it will be lovely to see everyone's bulbs flowering as we get closer to Christmas.

Back later with my photos.

PS One of my bulbs from last Christmas started flowering in July so I put it in a pot with some new compost and a bit of vermiculite, but it was very indifferent -a few leaves but no flower. It's now sulking in the greenhouse, I think it peaked too soon!

I've got three, gifts from previous Christmases, I've no idea what varieties they are. I've no room for another one. I would have had four but I decided to see how one would do in a pot outside over summer, it was a very wet summer, the slugs loved it. I look after them rather haphazardly and they reflower equally haphazardly. It's a nice surprise when one buds.

But this thread....those pictures.....so lovely.....perhaps I can find room for one more? Just a leetle one?

i love all these variations

Thank you @Lemonyfresher 🤗

But this thread....those pictures.....so lovely.....perhaps I can find room for one more? Just a leetle one?

Go orrrrrrrrn, you know you want to @IcakethereforeIam get thee down to your local supermarket and join the club.

Ive definitely been over-ambitious thinking mine will flower for Christmas, mid January more like. Never mind, we'll just keep this thread going a bit longer then

Bought these 2 double stemmed ones, £3.50 each from Lidl, 2 weeks ago and they are blooming marvellous.

Too early though so I’ll have to get another one for Xmas but at that price I’m not complaining.

Went for Lidl ones this year as I bought last year from M&S at twice the price and Lidl which were far better.

Are they beautiful @Maggiethecat I'd be standing there just gazing at them all day long. Wonderful this time of year. They're almost a burnished orange colour.

Great thread- thanks OP.

I bought 3 bulbs from lidl last week on a whim! My grandfather has these growing in his garden abroad when I was a child. Despite 18yrs in the UK- I've never tried growing them here. I'm now feeling inspired to buy even more!

@daisychain01 - I’m really surprised as they normally take 5-6 weeks to flower. They do make me happy.

If you buy the ones that you plant yourself (they provide you with the bulb, compost and pot) they're only £2.99 (and I'm convinced I only paid £2.79 a couple of weeks ago).

@Boiledeggandtoast - I think those require more time to bloom which is fine if I can get them going now. These ones had started to shoot already when I bought them.

Yes, please post a photo when it flowers @Carriemac

You're right of course, they do take longer. I'm staggering planting this year so that hopefully I'll have a succession of blooms. So far all of my Lidl bulbs have come up with very little maintenance beyond occaisional watering.

occasional, apologies for clumsy typing

Evening all!

I had a busy afternoon sorting out my bulbs and getting the pots and compost prepared. The Waitrose ones came with a funny round 'tablet' of compost that you have to soak in warm water for 30 mins. I had to put lots of extra water in the pot, it was brimming over it the end, it sucked up the water like blotting paper!

Here are my 2022 bulbs. I can vaguely remember which is which, but have decided not to bother remembering them as it will be a nice surprise when they flower. The one on the left has already started sprouting - I think it's Dancing Queen because it's got a double bud ... exciting.

I have to go to M&S tomorrow and I'm thinking should I buy another one, they had Red Lion in there. It would make it 5 and I always prefer odd numbers. DH will probably go mad we're now overrun with Amaryllis and Orchids (subject for a different thread....)

I got my leetle one from Ikea! This thread must have been in the back of my mind, they had a table covered with them and they were only about £3.

Unless it was mislabelled it's a white one, got two buds (flower not friends). They also had red and bi-coloured.

I was really tempted to get one called Half and Half, which looks stunning but doesn't seem to be too available in this country. Ooh, I wonder if there's a really dark one. I have a real penchant for black shrubs and flowers. Off to Google.

First time I’ve grown one like this and I’m pleased with it. First flower shoot came up very quickly and was fully open in mid October. It is now starting to produce a second shoot. Much quicker/earlier than ordinary ones. ‘La Paz’ from Peter Nyssen

Beautiful!!

The la paz is beautiful, I think it was that variety I fed to the slugs. My ikea is shooting up, one stem is knee high and starting to open.

The darkest variety I've found is, iirc, black pearl.

Anyone else feel sorry for the remaindered ones In the new year, bursting out of their boxes?

First flower, it grew so quickly, every time I looked at it over the course of an evening it had changed. Might be the best £3-ish I've ever spent. Sorry for poor picture.

What a beauty!

Lovely against the luminous blue of your decorations.

My 4 'babies' are at various stages of growth even though I potted them up at the same time.

Will post some WIP photos later!

Beautiful @IcakethereforeIam

Lovely pictures! Has anyone had an issue with their new bulbs not flowering and just producing foliage? I bought two apple blossom bulbs from Sainsburys and planted up mid November. Both are looking very healthy and growing lots of foliage but no flower spikes!

I picked up a couple in b&q just before Christmas - reduced to £2 from £8. Two different varieties but can't recall what exactly right now

Someone gave me one in a glass jar (from Lidl). It's got shredded woody stuff at the bottom & then moss with the bulb on top. No instructions but I've added a bit of water & crossed my fingers!

I had one like that from Lidl last year cooker abc it was fab! Lots of flowers