Look! I can grow something (updated)

Last fall we planted more than 100 bulbs in hopes of a colorful garden this year. We left behind hundreds of tulips, daffodils and other flowers when we moved from our first house. Now we’re on our fourth. On a whim, I added a few amaryllis to the most recent order. I don’t have a green thumb and haven’t had a great deal of luck growing anything indoors. There are months of waiting to see if the tiny bit of green sticking out from the top will become the beautiful flowers pictured in the catalog

Amaryllis bulbs required only a few weeks before the fun began. The first bulb, a Papillo with maroon and light green butterfly-like flowers, bloomed for just a few days before continuing on its life cycle. With blooms a bit larger than a salad plate, the second bulb, called Twinkle, is a more traditional red and white. It is no little star. It is sending up a second spike, but so far there are no leaves.

Maybe we’ll see them again next year if we treat the bulbs properly. Please check out the slideshow that starts with Twinkle and ends with Papilio.