Utah has been under a deep freeze since November. Slightly unseasonal, our weather has been hovering in the teens and twenties for weeks. I flew in from Orlando last night and the view from 30,000 feet up was white and frozen. Today, the view from my home office shows incandescent flakes gently filling the air.
As an avid, expert skier, Kevin is reveling in the winter freeze. While I really like to ski, I am quietly hoping for an early spring. Indoor blooms are my way to invite spring and are a great cure for winter blues. Starting to fill available east windows (as no south windows are good candidates), my plants help me enjoy spring every day.
- I started the Amarylis three weeks before Christmas and got the first bloom last Wednesday. Since my first bloom, seven additional flowers have opened. I get to enjoy at least 12 more blossoms that are still emerging from maturing stalks. Amarylis are so easy to grow. My three bulbs are sitting in a sealed glass planter atop a pile of black rocks. They like their roots wet, so I water each week.
- A newly-converted fan of orchids, this is my second set of blooms from this particular plant. Care for orchids is slightly more detailed so I'll share my tips later.
- The Paperwhites arrived as a welcome Christmas Gift. First I potted the bulbs in moistened soil and then refrigerated the plant for two weeks. Emerging from a dark, cold environment helps to force the blossoms. Now that the plant is in the open, I lightly water once a week. The first picture shows the growth after one week in the light. The second is week two. There are already buds emerging on the plant!
I look forward to hearing about your cures for the winter blues!
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