Amaryllis: it’s here!

amaryllis flower Over the weekend the flowers opened completely to brighten my Monday morning!  There’s only one flower stem but it is topped by three spectacular flowers: vivid, scarlet and silky.  I’ve never before noticed that the amaryllis has a smell but it does: a delicate, but definitely floral, perfume.  There is also the first tiny leaf bud poking through the soil at the base of the flower stem, ready to start feeding the bulb for next year.

 


2014-03-31 13.43.21amaryllis lead bud 2014-03-31 13.42.23

Amaryllis week 7

Amaryllis almost open What a difference a week makes! Now there are clearly three flowers on this stem: rich, velvety and red. They are unfolding away from their discarded and drying coat and getting into opening position.  I think of the flower as ‘bursting’ open but actually, it’s a far more gradual process of stretching and reaching (bit like me getting out of bed in the morning).

Amaryllis week 6

Amaryllis bud It’s a little bit taller but, excitingly, almost ready to flower! The bud is just beginning to open providing a glimpse of red: a taste of the richness to come.

Amaryllis week 5

IMAG0711[1]The flower stalk is almost taller than the ruler which means that in the last week the amaryllis has grown 18cm.  I suspect there will be another week of growth before the flower bursts open.  The photos also show increasing daylight outside (all taken at the end of the working day) although the flash on the plant makes the background look darker than it really is.

Amaryllis week 4

Amaryllis week 4The amaryllis is really gaining momentum now and this is clearly a flower bud – hooray! I was afraid that it might come up blind as I didn’t repot the bulb last year but it’s forgiven me and is going to flower anyway.

Amaryllis week two

amaryllis2This is the amaryllis (or hippeastrum as my mother tells me) in its second week.  It is making progress but slowly at the moment.  This one lives in my office; I have another at home which seems to have decided not to flower this year.  The home amaryllis has huge and floppy leaves but no sign of a flower bud.

Amaryllis: the beginning

Amaryllis shoot and ruleThis is a series of photographs that I have wanted to take for some time. The amaryllis is now in its fourth year and I am fascinated by the speed with which it grows from nothing to a magnificent, towering flower. Today, the first shoot is just peeking above the bulb.