Enchanting Amaryllis

Fall Gardening Tips

It’s time to plant tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus, and many other flower bulbs for beautiful blooms next spring. Choose shade trees for fall color now and plant them while the soil is still warm. Divide artichoke plants that have been in the ground for three or four years. Mulch established plants with steer manure. Plant cover crops in the garden where summer plants have finished—fava beans and crimson clover will grow through the winter and improve your soil for spring planting. Seed slopes with annual ryegrass to prevent erosion and improve the soil for later plantings.

About Amaryllis Belladonna (Naked Ladies)

Amaryllis belladonna, known as Naked Ladies, are a wonderful fall flower that is truly easy to grow. A native of South Africa, it is well adapted to dry summer Mediterranean climates.

• Each September, large flower bulbs send up one or two tall bare flower stems about two feet tall.
• Each stem bursts into bloom with a cluster of large, bright pink, fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers—up to twelve per stem, often facing southward toward the sun.
• The bare stems with no leaves give rise to the common name, Naked Lady.
• After flowering, large strap-shaped leaves appear, remaining green throughout winter and dying back in summer when the bulb becomes dormant.

Plant the bulbs about twelve inches apart with just their necks showing. Divide them in the fall when they become crowded. The bulbs are nearly indestructible and multiply readily—avoid overwatering, fertilizing, or mulching during summer dormancy. They thrive in full sun or partial shade, prefer well-drained soil, and tolerate dry conditions. Deer typically leave them alone, making them ideal for driveways, exposed areas, or naturalizing on banks, along fences, or in vacant corners.

About Christmas Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)

The so-called Christmas amaryllis belongs to the genus Hippeastrum and blooms with giant red trumpet-shaped flowers at Christmas, rather than in summer. Hybrid strains from Holland offer impressively large flowers (8–9 inches across) in colors including bright reds, salmon, soft pink, coral pink, white, and red-and-white, with 4–6 flowers per stem and often two stems per bulb.

• Easily grown in 6-inch pots—plant bulbs with at least 2/3 of the bulb above soil level.
• Keep potted bulbs in a cool, light place (~50°F) until roots develop, then move to a warmer room when leaves appear.
• Bulbs bloom about six weeks after planting.
• These tender bulbs must be kept indoors or on a frost-free porch until summer, then brought back inside in late September for dormancy.

Enjoy beautiful amaryllis in both fall and winter by planting them now, indoors and out.