Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.
I previewed this hippeastrum (amaryllis) a few days ago before any flowers had fully opened. We received the pre-planted bulb a couple weeks before Christmas, a thoughtful surprise from our niece and her family. I love the color and detect a slight fragrance (almost pepperminty), which I’ve never experienced with these flowers before.
It has been fun watching the plant in action. To use as a cut flower it is recommended to cut the stem when the bud is at marshmallow stage, before the flower has opened, but generally it should be okay to harvest at a later stage. Three of my six buds are now in full bloom with the center-facing one actually starting to fade slightly. I made the cut about an inch above the bulb and placed the stem in water for conditioning for several hours before using. Now the bulb can concentrate on nurturing the two remaining stalks.
Stately and serene, the lidded ceramic jar is one of my favorite vases for holding white flowers. It was a gift from my daughter so I send her a little smile whenever I use it.
Materials
Flowers
Hippeastrum (amaryllis)
Foliage
Arum Italicum
Container
Dark blue matte ceramic jar (by NC potter Julie A. Hunkins, c. 2000)
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower-filled vases across the world. Visit her to discover what surprises she and others found to place in a vase this week.