Blooming Marvellous!

At this time of year there really isn't much to get over excited about in the garden - well, if you live in the UK anyway.  One plant you can always rely on though is an Amaryllis which you can grow indoors.  I get given a bulb every Christmas and they never fail to put on a show.  The plants are native to South Africa and are commonly called Naked Ladies.

Needless to say, I have chucked the box away, so I have no idea what the variety of the one I am growing is.  It's the best one I have grown to date though.  They are so easy to grow, the bulbs come with a pot and some compost, so all you need is to add is some water. The plants seem to literally grow overnight.  You turn your back on them and they have grown another inch!  My Amaryllis went from bulb to two flowering stems with nine flowers, measuring about 50cm tall, in about four weeks.

The only advice I would give is to make sure you support the plant with sticks early on.  The weight of the flowers can cause the plant to toppel over as it is so top heavy.  Last year I forgot to support it and during the night another flower opened causing the plant to fall over and snap in two.  The plant kept flowering stuck in a glass of water but it didn't look quite the same somehow!