Amaryllis

How lovely. Nothing like flowers in the house in winter to cheer us up.

lovely we are on the same wave length Henetha , they brighten things up soo much I find .
for us now !!

Amaryllises are generally raised to flower at Christmas - it's a big market.
It is all to do with daylight - the same with Poinsettias.
(BTW Poinsettia's what?)

I have managed to keep a couple now for about two years. They need to be dried off as described and given a very cool dry spell to get them to flower again.

I have quite enjoyed trying to get them to do a repeat flowering it's an interesting horticultural challenge. I also don't like throwing away plants that could survive another season with the right care.

How to look after them.
gardening.about.com/od/floweringbulbs/a/Amaryllis.htm

The biggest danger is "red blotch" which can be controlled.

pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/StagonosporaCurtisii

I'll stick to my Christmas cactus which seems indistructable. It is currently covered in buds for the 3rd year running. A minor miracle for me

Lasat year, having admired my sisters Poinsettia which she'd had for 2 years, I bought one. From the day it entered our house, it seemed determined to die, in spite of my best efforts! I don't like to admit failure with plants, but it was a no go for us, so went in the bin.

I realy wanted a Christmassy plant, so a few days later spotted a fantastic deep ruby red amaryllis in Sainsburys. Well, it has been much admired, everyone comments on it as they enter the hall. I accept their compliments, and then, have to confess that it's a fake - but obviously a very realistic one! Must dust it off for this year

I do have real flowers too - like nina I have a very hardy Christmas cactus which is flowering well, a weeping fig which is huge, and several orchids which are now in bloom.

I totally blame you for this Nonu!

I have had a song going through my head all day and it is driving me mad:

"Is this the way to Amaryllis...."

Christmas cacti are pretty hardy. Poinsettia's just have have a death wish.

Don't over water them.
Don't keep them too dry.
Dont keep them in warm place.
Don't keep them in a cool place.

Save money and buy something else entirely. Or a good artificial one.

The two house plants I have had for years are an Aspidistra and a Clivia Miniata which do have a good once a year flower. These both seem to survive pretty well whatever you do to them.

Bad Gracesmum, it's Pedants' Corner time.

Poinsettias are forced in order to be ready in time for Christmas and then they are introduced into alien conditions. Can't help feeling sorry for them. In my garden in Kenya I had a poinsettia tree, I took cuttings (carefully - the sap is poisonous), shoved them in the ground and they grew into a hedge around my kitchen garden. Happy days!

Yes icy , there she must go forthwith. Mind you I am "Sobbing uncontrollably" !!! that Grace would even ^ Think^ I am to blame for the song going round her head !!


Still the Amaryllis is going along nicely & the Cyclamen are to die for . Sooo very beautiful , absolutely my plant of choice from now on in .

I've got an aspidistra! I bought it at a boot sale - for the pot. It had one leaf then....but when i looked after it and it grew, it turned out to be a variegated aspidistra!

My MiL handed her aspidistra over to us. I tended it dutifully and when ex decided to be ex, I happily gave him custody of it.

Mr P has done wonders with a palm that he bought as a small specimen for me. I told him that mine always die, so he took over maintenance. It looks lovely, but now needs re-potting. It was when I was considering this that I noticed he had planted it straight into the rather lovely 1930's china cache pot. Not sure it can be got out without breaking the pot.

I stick to my peace lily, absolutely indestructible so far!

why am I in Pedants' Corner?

You're not?

Oh I see!
Naughty corner graces

Still don't understand why? All I did was sing.............

Well you can tell when you're not wanted.......

I have grown an avocado plant from seed, beautiful leaves but I have only been successful as this once, years ago. I have tried repeatedly to do this again but without success.

I stick three cocktail sticks equally spaced into the centre of the stone, sit this in a glass with enough water to submerge the lower half of the stone, check water level doesn't drop and voila, leaves start to appear..

I'm sure this is what I did the first time but if any of you know what I am doing wrong I would welcome any tips.

Nonu I also like amaryllis. one I grow from scratch but cheat in a dark corner of our hall for Christmas with a bunch of fake Sainsbury red mixed with fake eucalyptus leaves and red berry stems.

Gracesmum, my MiL wouldn't have one in the house because she said they were rude!

I was very tempted to buy her a Georgia O'Keeffe calendar but I chickened out. Perhaps that's why you're in the naughty corner

graces Was it the quality of your singing that caused the problem.

You can sing anything on GN and no one can complain. This makes it the best the audience ever.

Anno Your Poinsettia hedge must have been a delightful sight.