I feel like a proud new mother!  Here, after a thirteen week gestation, is my beautiful bouncing baby Amaryllis ‘Gervase!’

In early January, I planted this bulb in regular potting soil, leaving the top third exposed.  I watered it sparingly, being careful to avoid getting any water in the crevasses of the bulb itself.  I did not want this bulb to rot!

It was very, very slow to sprout.  I worried over it.  I set it on top of our furnace for a few days, thinking some warmth would help it along.  I placed it under the grow light, on top of a seed starter heat mat, thinking that surely the combination of heat and light would awaken it.  The ‘Apple Blossom’ Amaryllis I planted at the same time was leaps and bounds ahead of ‘Gervase!’  Finally, I just brought it upstairs, set it in a window that gets bright sun late on winter afternoons, and waited.  Nearly eight weeks after planting, the first flower stalk appeared.  I was jubilant!

I watered the newly sprouted plant more regularly, and turned it every day or two to help the stalks grow straight.  The bulb holds all the food it needs, so I did not fertilize it.  

 The best news?  It’s TRIPLETS!  There are three flower stalks on this plant.  The first one produced four flowers. The other two are posed to pop open any day now.

The magenta-red striations and feathery white accents on the raspberry hued flowers are characteristic of ‘Gervase,’ as are the very long red filaments leading to the stigmas and anthers.  I’ve read that there can be great variation in the flowers on different stalks from the same bulb.  I can’t wait to see what comes next!