Monday, January 9, 2023

January - Antarctic Memories - Amaryllis Blooms.


Two of the re-blooming amaryllis are quite lovely and doing well in the dining room, They are several years old and have spent outdoor time planted in the garden in summer months where they threw up bright green leaves, waving to the hot breezes, and a couple of years beautiful flowers appeared unexpectedly. Later, returned to their pots for winter, they bloomed again indoors. 
 

You can see the taller one is huge - 31 inches from top of bulb to tip of three huge flowers. There is also a new stem with bud peeping out at the base which is exciting! The other one, shorter, has two flowers tinged with pink, and being the older plant I think struggled to make it again, but it did and it's really lovely. In the rear is another pot with not much happening - in fact I've just cut back its two tall leaves to see if it will make a growth spurt with a stem - we'll have to wait and see.





January is not always a great month, especially if you don't enjoy the colder weather of the northern hemisphere, however it does sometimes bring surprises and now and then, wonderful memories. On this day in 2013 I was heading south toward Ushuaia, Argentina - via a colorful stop in Buenos Aires - to board an expedition ship for a 3-week adventure to Antarctica. It will always be the most exciting, memorable time of my life. . . . .and definitely of January!

Enjoy your January days. . . . . . . .embrace life.

16 comments:

  1. At the moment, January here is more like late February or early March, but I guess the cold (and probably snow, too) will be back sooner or later.
    Your amaryllis are stunning - and I know I say this every time you post pictures of them, but I have to repeat it again: I want one, too! I used to have amaryllis on my window sill as a girl when I still lived at home with my parents, but somehow have never bought them for myself once I had my own place, and was never given one.

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  2. The amaryllis flowers are beautiful, Mary. They grow well for you. I need to remember your god advice to embrace life.

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  3. What lovely amaryllis blooms. They add so much beauty to quiet January. I so admire the way you put them into the garden and bring them indoors once again. I have one bright white bloom and a few more to open. Our weather is windy with some rain, but not buckets as California is experiencing.
    Your Antarctic cruises were amazing and I've gone back a couple of times to read the posts. Such wild and gorgeous scenery.

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  4. How nice to have your amaryllis performing so well at this time of year when the house can often seem empty after the Christmas decor has been put away. I used to plant mine in the ground at the last house. Looks like I should do that again as it has worked nicely for you. I have one amaryllis which is currently sending up lots of leaves. So far no flowers. I will keep waiting to see if one ever appears.

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  5. Your amaryllis are always so spectacular. I just love seeing them each year. Curious if the color has changed on them over the years? Jim keeps his amaryllis in the greenhouse all year long and then may bring them into the house if they develop blooms. Right now we have paperwhites beginning to bloom.

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  6. Dearest Mary,
    What a beauty the tall one—especially—is!
    Today I brought home two white hyacinths in a jar from Trader Joe's.
    LOVE their heavenly fragrance...
    Antarctica would never be on our list, we both love the tropics far more!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  7. I like how you've braced your Amaryllis dear Mary. I also covet your spools :) ... Last week at a friends', we had slide show of her trip to Antarctica in December. (Her cruise departed from Chile.) The photos were amazing but she said they couldn't do justice to scale of everything.

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  8. Beautiful photos of your gorgeous Amaryllis. I had not realised that a plant could spend one season outdoors in the garden, and another season in a pot in the house - and then go back outside! How clever you are. I need to think about bringing the odd plant inside to save it from the hot weather we have. What wonderful memories you must have of a three week trip to Antarctica. Now that is an adventure :) xxx

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  9. Very pleasant to the eyes, well done. Greetings!

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  10. Gorgeous plants those amaryllis. I vaguely remember your trip to Antartica. I should go back and snoop around a bit. ☺️

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  11. Beautiful and so lovely to have in the house in the month of January. I enjoy every month of the year ..... they all have their merits ! And, February is the month of my birthday. XXXX

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  12. Dear Mary, I can't think of anything more exciting than either remembering or planning another trip to anywhere in this beautiful world. It's Umbria for me this coming October.

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    1. Oh that's fabulous news dear Gina - we are so happy for you. We'll be in the UK then hopefully!

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  13. Dear Mary, love your pure white Amaryllis. Did your Apple Blossom Amaryllis survive?

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    1. One more remaining to open any day now - hoping it might be the apple Blossom!

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  14. The flower is so beautiful Mary! Oh January...such a gray month. Not my favourite. We haven't had sunshine since before Christmas. But I see a little sun for the end of the week and I can't wait!! ☺

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