Late Winter Gifts

I know a lot of folks coax flowers into bloom for the holiday season. Our traditional poinsettias grace every table, window, and mantel. However, I find I need flowers in the latter half of winter more.

‘Amadeus’

‘Black Pearl’

January, February, and March sometimes feel like the coldest, darkest months even though days slowly lengthen toward spring. There’s only so much brown, black, white, and grey that the soul can handle, though.

And so - flowers. At the moment I have three varieties of amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp.) in my sunny plant window. ‘Amadeus’ and ‘Black Pearl’ are in full flagrant blossom with their huge showy flowers drinking in the sunlit days. Soon ‘Splash’ will also bring huge double red and white flowers to the party.

One basic white hyacinth

This year Best Beloved bought me a hyacinth in a glass forcing vase. It happily occupies the kitchen windowsill and gently perfumes the place as we fix meals and wash dishes. One is fine. More than that and I’ll be overwhelmed with their candy sweetness.

Do I still have a poinsettia on the dining room table from Christmas? You bet. Will it get pitched eventually? Of course. But it’s bipping along in a shady room with minimal fuss, so it stays. For now.