amarylli

As my sibs and associated in-laws know, my parents have the charming custom of sending a potted amaryllis bulb to each household as an Advent gift. Though I didn't bring any amarylli along on the cross-country move to California, I have now been here for three Advents. Thus, I have three amarylli to play with.

This year's bulb bloomed, a beautiful four-blossom stalk. The flowers were a deep coral on the ends of the petals, shading out to white at the center. Now the flowers have died and I've cut the stalk off, so the greenery remains. We'll see whether it decides to put up another stalk before it's finished.

I tried to overwinter the two bulbs from last year and the year before. I followed the instructions from the National Arboretum, but had to fudge a little because there is no place in my apartment that sustains the faux-wintertime temperature that the instructions call for. Once this year's bulb arrived, I brought the older two out, repotted them in fresh soil, watered them and hoped for the best.

One of the older bulbs has put out greenery, but no sign of a flower stalk yet. The other was much slower to respond, but is now putting out a flower stalk with no sign of greenery to feed it. Curiouser and curiouser!

Perhaps between the two of them I will have all the ingredients for one healthy amaryllis. Or maybe they'll catch up with themselves. Whatever happens, I'm pleased that they're both doing something.

The only downside -- I'm finding that amarylli harbor tiny fruit flies. I'm going to have to search for an environmentally friendly fruit fly banisher.