The heat has been insufferable for longer than we care to mention now. When the garden becomes too hot to bear, it is time to cut every flower that blooms and bring it into the house to enjoy. The cool of air conditioning will increase the bloom time and allow you to enjoy the garden from the comfort of your living room. The lovely Amaryllis Belladonna has made her arrival at the garden party this week and does quite well as a cut flower.
Commonly called ‘Naked Ladies’ since the flowers appear from a leafless base, this stunning flower comes from a clump forming bulb. Each year the bulb will increase in size and the flowers will appear at the outermost edge so over the years one bulb becomes a mass of exquisite flowers.
The foliage arrives in the garden very early in the spring, appearing at first like emerging jonquil leaves. Very soon however, the foliage thickens and out grows everything around it. It grows to twenty four inches before collapsing and requiring braiding or staking to allow it‘s neighbors to breathe. Removing the nourishing green foliage will adversely affect the future flowers so it must be kept intact until it naturally dies. Once it has collapsed again... this time as dry, crisp, untidy debris, it may be easily removed.
The spot in the garden is quite bare until August when suddenly the flowers begin to appear, slowly growing on sturdy stems until they are a mass of lovely pink. In the interim, a small plant stand with a pot of blooms may be placed over the barren area until late July. The stand must be high enough to allow air to circulate and water to flow beneath it to the waking bulbs below.
Since they arrive at the garden party from a forgotten spot, accompanied by no surrounding greenery, they were given their other common name... Surprise Flowers. Each stem carries a large head of six to twelve funnel shaped flowers that have a sweet and delicate odor.
This wonderful plant seems undisturbed by severe growing conditions and will bloom faithfully in shade or sun regardless of the heat. As with so many of our lovely flowers this one is originally from South Africa where it grows with wild abandon in dry and dusty sites, impervious to harsh conditions. If planted next to perennial Shasta Daisies, both will bloom now, creating a visual garden bouquet. Amaryllis will make even a novice gardener joyful by adding her August beauty and grace to the garden setting.
August is a difficult time for the garden. With the riot of Spring and early Summer over, the heat and the need for constant watering make the garden rather a chore to maintain. Adding a few carefree Amaryllis bulbs this Fall will truly provide a delightful surprise... arriving in the heat, where one least expects them!
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