Mary Claire Rowe

"The first time every I saw your face, I thought the sun rose in your eyes."

Ewan McColl, a songwriter, wrote this lovely, romantic song, as a tribute to his wife, Peggy Seeger. These words came to mind this week, as I came face to face with a lovely flower that bloomed in my garden.

I was surprised and enchanted by its beauty. I don't remember when or where I got the bulb. It might have been a gift that I set aside in an out of the way corner, after it had bloomed last year. I probably over-wintered it in the garage along with all the other cold-averse plants. However it came to me, I am just so delighted it survived and brought forth such beauty.

I placed the pot on the outdoor umbrella table. The soft-orange bud contrasted beautifully with the dark green fabric. It made an incredibly lovely design. As I worked in the garden pulling a few weeds, and then covering every open inch of dirt with a nice thick carpet of mulch, I would frequently stop and return to the flower.

As it slowly opened, I was struck by the luminescent beauty of the colors and the interesting triangular shape of the whole blossom. The name tag was long gone, so I looked on the Web site of the National Arboretum, and it is clearly a form of "Double Queen."

Generally, we call this plant an Amaryllis, and it is in the Amaryllidaceae Family; but the true name is Hippeastrum (hip ee AS trum.) This genus was named in 1837 by a Reverend William Herbert of England. The translation from Latin is "horseman's star" or "knight's star."

With imagination it can be seen that the buds, when on the verge of opening, look like a horse's ear, and the blossoms resemble six-pointed stars. Perhaps the Honorable Dean of Manchester Herbert was as enchanted with the beauty of his Hippeastrum, as I was with mine, and wanted to give it a poetic name. Perhaps he was an avid horseman, and it was "his" star.

While I do have many other "amaryllis" plants in bloom, it is always breath-taking to see them the first time. Their beauty demands a closer look, and when seen one blossom at a time, the uniqueness can be fully appreciated. Perhaps, that flush of first love for a new plant is what keeps gardeners and plant lovers always on the quest for different cultivars. It becomes a romantic obsession. With time, the new plant multiplies and becomes common. It is seen everywhere, in the gardens of others. Then the quest is on for another "new" flower. It can become a never-ending cycle.

To bring one of these large bulbs to blossom is rather simple. Soak the bottom third of the bulb in warm water, so that the roots will become pliable. This will ease their spread into the pot.

Use a pot that is 4 to 6 inches larger than the bulb and which has open drain holes. Commercial potting soil works perfectly. Place the bulb so that the top third is above the soil line. Water once.

Place the pot where it will receive full sun. Water again, sparingly, when new growth is visible, or the soil is completely dry. According to www.wikipedia.org, after the appearance of an 8" flower stalk with bud, or two 10-inch leaves , watering can be increased to weekly. It is recommended that feeding be withheld while the bulb is blooming.

Many Hippeastrums will bloom again after the initial bloom. When the blooms die, remove the spent flowers and allow the stem to die back, until it turns yellow and sags. Then cut it to within 2 inches of the bulb.

During the summer, they will need to be protected from hot afternoon sun. They will need to be watered regularly and fed by-monthly with a water-soluble fertilizer. The pots can be buried in the ground to lessen the maintenance. Care must be taken to prevent conditions where they will get too much water, which will cause the roots to rot.

In the late fall, cut back on watering and allow the bulb to rest. It can be moved to an area where it will not be disturbed by rainfall. It can stay outside until the temperature is 50 degrees and then it needs to come in from the cold.

Simple care for a lovely plant. While we can allow ourselves to obsess over newer and different plants, we can also take a step back and appreciate each plant for its own characteristics and unique beauty. In this process we can gain tranquility in the garden and perhaps in our lives, but definitely in our pocketbooks.

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"What's Blooming In Our Garden'' is a regular feature of the Tyler Morning Telegraph Garden Page. It is written by Mary Claire Rowe, a Master Gardener with the Texas Cooperative Extension, and focuses on flowers and plant life around East Texas. To share your comments on gardening, write her in care of the Morning Telegraph.

Mary Claire Rowe
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