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Cheaper? Really? Has anyone done the math? I'd love an alternative to cut flowers that doesn't feel so fleeting...

White Flower Farm is vastly superior in quality to Smith & Hawken....

Amaryllis bulbs are one of my favorite things about this time of year. I've been getting my amaryllis bulbs from amaryllis.com for the last couple of years. The bulbs each send up two buds (sometimes even more!), which bloom four to six flowers apiece. They're a lot cheaper than Smith and Hawken's bulbs, which seem to range from $14-$19. The basic kinds are $9 each plus shipping (and no tax for me) from amaryllis.com if you buy more than three. They also have some incredible exotic varieties that look like some strange tropical or alien flower that are $14 or so. I wonder, however, if S&H's $19 amaryllis bulbs are worth it, they're the biggest bulbs I've ever seen. Do they actually bloom that many more flowers? I've never checked out White Flower Farm's offerings, I know they're a great company.

Every year I choose a different color scheme. This year I decided to go with brights and ordered bright orange, deep red, and a lovely salmon. Can't wait for them to start blooming!

vagary,
Paperwhites are an inexpensive way of keeping fresh flowers around. The bulbs are much smaller than the ones featured above, and cheap. I bought 12 last year from a bin at a local florest, put some pretty river rocks and water in the bottoms of 4 rectangular, glass vases (my friend had a ton left over from her wedding), then divided the bulbs amongst the vases. They take several weeks to go fully into bloom, but the flowers lasted 2-3 weeks for me. Half the fun was watching the stems emerge from the bulbs and reach towards the sun. My guests always asked about what I was growing, and several were inspired to grow paperwhite centerpeices of their own.

Does anyone know where I can find a step by step instructions for caring for these plants?

Thank you,
Sicklybrunette

Sicklybrunette,

Follow this link to the Clemson Extension amaryllis care page and it should give you the basic care instructions you need.

The key is to not let them go dormant like other bulbs (which is what I used to think you did) - keep them growing to let them recharge.

Also take care in the type of bulb you choose. You may want to get a good deal and buy cheaper varieties, but they may not last as well as a larger, healthier (and more expensive) bulb.

A neighbor has one that they have on a south facing windowsill all year long. I have seen it blossom a number of times over the past few years.

Good luck!