Yesterday I mailed my last Christmas box. It's always such a relief when that's done. I feel like I can finally concentrate on my immediate family and begin to enjoy the holidays at last. I hope that's not a bad attitude? After making 2 batches of fudge, 20 dozen cookies, wrapping a zillion presents and addressing about 40 cards, I think that's cause for relaxation! None of the aforementioned food items are left in our house either! They've all been shipped or consumed by other people. I am just now beginning to make some of the holiday dishes we enjoy, like Banana bread with candied fruit:
That might sound gross to some people but it's our version of a preferred fruit cake!
If it can last long enough, Amaryllis 'Red Pearl' will be our Christmas table centerpiece:
I've never cut the flowers off my bulbs before but 'Red Pearl' was leaning heavily to one side and had another bud stalk about to open so I took the plunge. I've read that the flowers actually last longer in a vase than on the bulb?? It will be interesting to see if that is true...
Amaryllis 'Novella' also opened her second bloom stalk the other day and you will never believe how many buds on this one!! (remember the first stalk had eight buds/blooms?) I photographed her because I wasn't sure you'd believe me any other way ~ count them ~ they total 10!!!!
Six blooms around the outside and four more buds in the very center! That is one exceptional performer! I've never had so many blooms on a single Amaryllis stalk before ~ I definitely got more than I ever anticipated from her.
There are more Amaryllis bulbs waiting to bloom in the greenhouse/bathroom too. Below are 'Clown,' 'Gervase' and 'Christmas Story' all lined up beside a Bird of Paradise plant (with a ginormous new leaf ~ 24" long!) and some of my orchids:
Looks like there will certainly be plenty of blooms to keep us company thru the holidays! Now we're going to be movie watching, piddlin' around and just generally laid back. Wishing you the same!