Creative Ways to Use Amaryllis for Holiday Display
The amaryllis has become one the most popular floral gifts for the holiday season. The robust bulb, sleek stem and explosive flowers make for a knockout winter floral. Once the fanfare is through, most get tossed out on the debris pile, never to share the center stage again. This does not have to be the case in the South, where these bulbs are hardy and will come back year after year to grace the early May landscape with their striking bloom set.
After flowering, cut the flower stem off close to the base and move the plant to a sunny spot in the house. A sun porch, south-facing window sill or home greenhouse will all work fine at giving the foliage the needed light to produce the energy for next year’s flowering. As the foliage emerges after the flowering is complete, use a liquid fertilizer at half the recommended rate. Fertilize them twice through the early winter months. Plant them outside in a sunny, well drained spot when the early spring days arrive for good. The bulb itself may take a good year to rebloom correctly, but patience will pay off. In successive years, continue planting your long-term amaryllis gifts in the same location. Floral groupings happily draw the eye to the exotic flowers.
Learn more about growing your own amaryllis on my recent Down and Dirty podcast where I talk about forcing amaryllis and paperwhites.