Most of us have enjoyed an Amaryllis or two around the house at some point during the holiday season.  For those who haven't, what are you waiting for?  Amaryllis is an amazing, fast-growing, colorful plant that kids love to see develop and that makes a delightful addition to the home during the gray days of winter and early spring. 

Most of us acquire our Amaryllis bulbs when they are readily available in many stores during the holiday season, but bulbs are also available in garden centers and online.  Flowering is water activated, so you can time your Amaryllis blooms to coincide with a special occasion.  If you want festive Christmas flowers, expect company in January, or want to dress up the house for Valentine's day, you can plan accordingly with Amaryllis.  For instance, for Christmas bloom, start watering your Amaryllis bulb  in approximately late October or early November.  Once a bulb is watered for the first time, blooms can be expected within 6-8 weeks.  Bulbs can be bought pre-planted in a kit with a pot, soil, and the bulb, or as loose bulbs.  If you choose loose bulbs, match the size of the bulb with a pot just a little bit bigger.  The bulb should fit into the pot with maybe a couple of inches to spare around the edges.  Bigger bulbs make bigger flowers. Put the soil in the pot and position the bulb with the top third above the soil line with the pointed end up.  Water thoroughly, put in a window with filtered light, and don't water again until you see growth.  Once growth has started, the warmer the room, the faster the growth, so if you are in a hurry, put the pot in a warm south window or in the kitchen, and if you have the luxury of time, leave it in a cooler place.  The first growth is the actual flower bud (foliage does not emerge until the flowers are in the process of opening).  A big bulb will produce maybe 2-3 flowers that in total last for maybe a month or so.

Once your Amaryllis blooms have faded, cut the old flower stalks off and treat it like a houseplant.  Situate it in a sunny window and water when the soil feels dry.  Don't overwater, as these bulbs will rot fairly easily.  In fact, slight under-watering is preferable to slight over-watering if you have to choose between two evils.  Amaryllis also does well as an outside plant until late summer, especially in a morning sun/afternoon shade situation.  I tried planting one of my Amaryllis plants outside in a south-facing, sheltered bed in my Zone 7 garden, and it stays there year-round and blooms reliably in mid to late April.  It is creating little bulblets like a Daffodil bulb, and seems to like it there with no special attention.  I'm astounded that this has worked so well because Zone 7 is really too cold for Amaryllis, but I apparently stumbled upon just the right place in my landscape for this plant.  Good drainage is a must.  Anyhow, eventually in mid to late summer, your Amaryllis will start looking pretty shoddy, with wilted, sad looking foliage.  Don't cut the foliage, but stop watering and store the bulb for 3 months in a dark, cool place with no watering.  A crawl space under the house, garage, or closet works well.  Then, 6-8 weeks before you want blooms, retrieve the pot, cut off any loose wilted foliage, dump the old potting soil and replace with fresh, and water well, and the cycle begins again. 

Now, I know all this sounds like a lot of trouble, but if you break it down it's really not, especially considering the magnificent blooms this plant produces just at the right time of year.  I am a big fan of Amaryllis and I think everyone should have at least one around during the holidays.  And don't forget, they make affordable and memorable holiday gifts for those hard to please people on your list, who will thank you for introducing them to the wonderful world of Amaryllis once they see how easy and fun these plants are to grow!