Amaryllis Elvas

Giant "Peppermints"! Deep red picotee and whiskers on every petal! Elvas is a festive confection of pure white and deep red, with pencil-thin whiskers, stripes, and edging! The flowers are fully double and quite large, and the bulb is from superior Dutch stock, guaranteeing you years of holiday color!These blooms reach 8 inches wide, packed with white petals merrily marked in red. The tiny brushstrokes of red arise at the base and along the edges of the petals, often with a dot at the very tip for good measure! The entire effect reminds me of a peppermint drop -- and what could be more festive for the holiday home?Elvas reaches 16 to 24 inches tall, and over time will develop two bloomstalks, each packed with at least 4 enormous flowers. Now THAT'S a gift!To get years of color from your Amaryllis, plant it in a 6- to 8-inch pot (or space close to other bulbs if planting more than one together) so that the bulb will concentrate its energy into making blooms, not growing roots. Keep about 1/3 to 2/3 of the bulb exposed above the soil, and water it in thoroughly. Unless the soil looks dry, you should not water it again until green shoots appear. When the first growth appears, move the plant into a sunny spot and keep it very well-watered until it blooms. Once the blooms open, move it out of direct sunlight to prolong the life of the flowers -- expect them to last nearly two weeks! After the blooms (finally) pass, trim their stems down to a few inches, place the pot back in a sunny spot, and keep watering and feeding it until the leaves turn yellow. (Most Amaryllis remain green for months, their deeply colored, strap-like foliage an attractive addition to the home or office.) When the foliage dies back, remove the plant from sun, stop watering, and keep the bulb potted up for another color show! If you do re-pot it, you may notice small bulbils growing along the edges of the main bulb. These may be left alone or potted separately and grown as new plants (though they will take several years to reach mature size, of course). If you live in a tropical climate (zones 9-10), Amaryllis will grow like Topsy in your garden. Plant the bulbs about 8 inches deep, spacing 6 to 8 inches between plants. Fertilize the soil about 3 weeks after planting. Our top-size bulbs are certain to bloom heavily and delightfully for many years. Hardy only in zones 9-10, this Amaryllis is a long-lived houseplant everywhere in the country.


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