Amaryllis surprise

 

The instructions tell you to plant amaryllis bulbs in potting soil, water gently and place in sunlight. This is what happens if you store them too long in a paper bag instead. Photo by John Denniston. 

Shopping for spring bulbs in October, I was seduced by pictures of amaryllis blooms. Dreamy pink-and-white “Apple Blossom,” sprightly red-and-white “Minerva” – what a combo to send a plant-loving brother for Christmas!

I bought them and tucked those scaly dry bulbs away in the basement in brown-paper bags, confident about what would happen next. In December, I’d nestle them into a parcel that would arrive at my brother’s place in Alberta for the holidays. Then, planted and watered, they’d sprout, thrive and flaunt beautiful flowers for him in January.

What, then, were those green things sticking out of the bags when I came to assemble his Christmas parcel last week? Bent, contorted, swooping anywhere but straight up, were thick green protuberances more than a foot long, with buds on top. Without the prescribed pot, potting soil, water or even light, those bulbs had sprouted and were racing toward the finish line!

They were too fragile for a trip to Alberta and besides, their odd shapes would make planting them a pain. I replaced them with plain red – very dormant – amaryllis bulbs from the local hardware store.

As for my two misshapen, misbehaving leftovers, I’ll find a way of supporting their dogged drive to burst into pink and red blossoms. They surprised me and upset my plans, but in times like these, they also seem to send some kind of message about the value of sheer determination.

The seductive "Apple Blossom" photo. Given its treatment, I hope the real thing has enough strength to produce blooms like this.

The "Minerva" looks bright and snappy. I thought it would be a nice contrast with my other choice.