Mid-Winter Bloom

After the busyness of the Christmas holiday was past

I found myself at a store that had amaryllis bulb growing kits on clearance.

What caught my eye was not the idea of growing an amaryllis,

but the lovely pot that came with the kit!

Glossy red - the perfect red!

It's 6.5" tall, about 5.5" across the top - beautiful!!

The amaryllis bulb was just an added bonus!

I brought this beauty home and dutifully followed the instructions

to prepare a cozy home for the large beet-sized bulb

and then I waited....

Within two days I noticed a wee bit of fresh green brightening the pale leaf shoots.

A couple days later the green was deepening and the stalk and leaves 

slowly began to gain ground in the height department.

 That was the beginning...

Watching this plant was almost akin to Jack and the Beanstalk! 

Okay, not quite like that, but this amaryllis grew several inches each day!

Do you remember The Friendly Giant? "Look up, wa-a-ay up!"

This amaryllis, over a period of 2 1/2 weeks, stretched up to 26" 

and still the blooms were waiting....

On Saturday the bud head began to open and by Sunday morning
 the yet-to-open blooms were stretching out, each in their own direction,
as though a natural compass, pointing North, West, South, and East.

The East and West blooms were the first to open - that happened yesterday, 

and by the end of today the North and South blooms should be fully opened too!

  East and West blooms...

So last night between 9 and 10pm, 

I sat down and painted the scarlet blooms...

"Red Lion Amaryllis"

(watercolour, approx. 6.25" x 10")

All because I liked a pretty red pot!

♥ Cath-