A Pop of Color and Cheer

Look what's now blooming on our windowsill! 

Each year my husband gets me amaryllis and/or paperwhite bulbs at Christmastime and I always enjoy growing them. Not only is it interesting to watch them grow, but they add a lovely pop of color and cheer during dreary wintertime.

This year's amaryllis is a bit different from those I have received in the past because this bulb is encased in a wax shell. This newer trend permits one to grow a lovely flower without any effort. Simply place it in a sunny windowsill and watch it bloom! It does not require being planted in soil and there is no need to water it. The wax coating actually contians enough moisture to sustain it until it reaches maturity. A wire base keeps the bulb in place without tipping or falling over.

I simply placed it in its place on the windowsill and we began observing. Like most forced bulbs, the growth is accelerated and rewarding. I used to take paperwhites to my class each January where we suspended them in glass vessels along the windows. We had such a good time journaling our observations, measuring the daily growth of stems and roots and charting the bud development as we learned about the plant growing process.

As you can see, I have one bud which has not yet begun to open. I have done some research and there is conflicting information about the longterm viability of a waxed amaryllis bulb. Some say that once the bulb finishes its blooming cycle, it should be discarded as it will never rebloom. Others maintain that the wax covering may be carefully removed, the bulb potted and that it will reproduce blossoms. I have nothing to lose and so I will definitely try the latter. In the meantime, we are certainly enjoying the pop of color and cheer...especially on this rainy, winter day! 

I hope you experienced some 

color and cheer today!