Amaryllis

 

I have some Amaryllis bulbs that I plant every year.  I never seem to get them started early enough to enjoy at Christmas, but by February they’re usually showing their glorious blooms.  It’s a welcome cheeriness in the cold of winter.  I found my original bulbs after Christmas in the clearance Christmas gift stuff quite a few years ago, so keep a lookout if you’d enjoy some!  They’ve reproduced quite a bit since then and I’ve even given some away.  Here’s a link for Amaryllis growing instructions.  I usually plant mine in the vegetable garden over the summer and they thrive.

 

 

Last year in January I decided to try planting the bulbs in a different way than the traditional one bulb per pot.  My girls and I took a trek (well actually we drove the trails most of the way with the Jeep) down into the woods in the bottom land by the creek where moss and ferns grow the most plentifully.  We searched for pretty bits of wood and rocks and chipped away at the frozen clumps of moss to bring home.  I was amazed at how many different kinds of moss and tiny ferns were holding their own in the winter, just waiting for some warmth to start growing again.

 

I covered a Rubbermaid container with burlap, attaching it with hot glue.  (It peels off when you’re done and the container can go back to its original use.)  We put a thick layer of small gravel in the bottom to hold any extra water since there were no drainage holes, then added potting soil and the bulbs.  We tucked the moss and ferns around the bulbs and added accents with sprigs of boxwood, rocks, and mossy bark.  Then it was time to wait!

 

     I tucked the extra moss and things into a set of apothecary jars, and we’ve enjoyed these mini terrariums all year. In fact, I just emptied them before Christmas so I could fill them with holiday things! The snippets of boxwood had rooted, but I’d had to remove some of the other stems of plants I’d stuck in when they died out.

 

 

 

It’s January again and I should be potting up those

bulbs once again.  But it’s so cold and dreary outside. 

 I think I’ll wait for a sunnier day!

For the Lord is good and his love

 endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through

all generations.

Psalm 100:5