Garden Nations

Few plants bring as much colour into a grey December as an amaryllis. One plain-looking bulb, a pot and a bright windowsill, and a few weeks later you have giant trumpet flowers in red, white, pink or striped, just in time for Christmas. The best part: an amaryllis is one of the easiest bulbs to grow indoors. And if you treat it right after flowering, the same bulb can bloom again every winter for many years. Here is everything you need to know, from buying the bulb to getting it to flower a second time. Amaryllis or Hippeastrum? A Quick Name Check The bulb sold everywhere as "amaryllis" is botanically a Hippeastrum , a plant from the tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America. The "true" Amaryllis ( Amaryllis belladonna ) is a South African plant that flowers in late summer. For your windowsill it makes no difference: the care below is for the Hippeastrum you find in every garden centre and supermarket in Europe from October on. When to...

Winter · Indoor Flowers Plant an Amaryllis Now, Enjoy Giant Flowers at Christmas One bulb, a small pot and a sunny window are all you need for huge, trumpet-shaped blooms in the darkest weeks of the year. Few plants give you so much for so little effort. An amaryllis bulb planted in autumn sends up a thick stem and opens four or more enormous flowers just when the garden outside is grey and bare. That's why you see them everywhere in shops and markets from November onwards. The good news: an amaryllis isn't a one-season plant. With the right care after flowering, the same bulb can bloom again for many years and even grow bigger over time. Amaryllis or Hippeastrum? The big bulbs sold as "amaryllis" are actually Hippeastrum , a plant from South America. The true Amaryllis belladonna is a different plant from South Africa that flowers outdoors in late summer. Everyone, including garden centres, uses the name amaryllis for both, so don't let the labe...