[Fleur Pavlidis]

Portuguese are anything like the Greeks then they'll never actually buy something like amaryllis but will get it from a friend who's breaking up a clump. If you want to join in, be fulsome in your praise of the desired plant, make sure you have a little collection of spare plants to offer in exchange, and you may be lucky. Or you can try mail order!

[Frits.kp]

There were a number of garden centres around Faro on the N125 that all sold pots full of the bulbs you require

[jeroen55]

Thank you very much for information..

[JTh]

Fleur, I bought some bulbs when I was in Athens in October, now I have to find out how to bring them to Greece next spring.

[Fermi]

Anita,
did you get a bulb of the "Appleblossom"?

Here are some of the ones we grow:
"cerise"
"mid pink"
"pale pink"
"white"
This year they didn't start till March.
cheers
fermi

[John]

Here in London these bulbs are often virused. If they are sold as selected clones this is almost inevitable. It doesn't kill them but can look unsightly. Is this the same in other parts of the world?

[Trevor Australis]

No, it is not usual for Amaryllis to be virused in Australia. Well none of mine are and most of them have been collected from farms in South Australia and Victoria. I also have a beautiful bulb called an Amarygia which is a hybrid between Amaryllis and Brunsvigia, and also several Amarines + Amaryllis x Nerine. William Martin of 'Wigandia' at Mt Noorat in Vic has collected many variations of Amaryllis from Western Districts properties and Robyn Brader of Allan's Flat nr Yackendandah in NE Vic has made similar collections in that long settled area.

Many Amarylids have seeds that begin to sprout before they fall. This is called 'recalcitrant'. If you buy seeds from South Africa they are always labelled with this term in very large lettering on the customs declaration, along with a packing slip that explains the term and that the things are still seeds and not plants - which would have to be gassed with bromine to get through the plant quarantine service.

[anita]

Anita,
did you get a bulb of the "Appleblossom"?
cheers
fermi

Embarrassed to say I just haven't been game to go and doorknock to ask for a bulb and I can't bring myself to just "liberate" one from the street!
I have had Amaryllis in bloom here (Adelaide plains) since January 16.. 6 days after we got a shower of about 10mm. This was the early blooming tall pink strain. We have other strains still blooming now although my cerise pink bulbs have not flowered as yet.
I'm also coming to the opinion that in our hot mediterranean climate Amaryllis belladonna need not be grown in sun to flower. The heat alone seems to do the trick. I first noticed this tendency when bulbs that had become overgrown by shrubs continued to flower. Now a row I've planted in full shade are blooming (it took about two years for the bulbs to stop grumping after being moved). The attached photo of some of the bulbs in bloom in full shade demonstrates my case.
Anita

[JAK]

My area is currently full of all shades of pink wherever there is evidence of early settled gardens. I love foraging for more shades and was delighted to find Anita's photos so I will now have something to aspire to. The bulbs I have found growing in dappled light are quite straight as are the ones in full sun. Most of these wild ones have their necks exposed. Transplanted at home they do tend to sulk but I am beginning to reap the rewards and have quite a few out this year including a pure white of which I have collected quite a few and hope one day to have a real show. Perhaps I'm dreaming but then the chase is half the fun.

[Fermi]

It's the start of the Belladonna Season here again!

Seedlings in bloom
Picottee type
Stripey
Cerise

cheers
fermi

[Alisdair]

That picotee is a delicate colour, Fermi! A nice subtle change from the brighter pinks.

[Fermi]

Alisdair,
the variability amongst seedlings is only slight so I was pleased to see this one.
I think its parent is one with very dark edges to an almost white petal.
The white ones have now started,
cheers
fermi

[Fermi]

I think its parent is one with very dark edges to an almost white petal.

Hmm, another episode of my memory "gilding the lily", so to speak!
This is what I think is that parent, which can have very deep pink edges,
cheers
fermi

[Trevor Australis]

I went out y/day on a driving tour of the Southern Vales to Willunga via McLaren Flat, McLaren Vale (Note: wine-lovers = the fantastic Southern Vales), Kuitpo Forest, Kuitpo Valley, Meadows, Echunga, Hahndorf and back home again to Crafers. Belladonna's everywhere BUT NOT IN MY GARDEN! What am I not doing? Open situations, no Summer watering, a little food from time to time but only a big fat nothing. The bulb clumps are about 20-30 yrs established. So much for hardy traditional plants.

[Fermi]

Hi Trevor,
they usually take a little while to flower after transplanting, but not as long as 20 years
We have clumps that haven't flowered which I presume is due to being overshadowed or getting too much competition from  gum trees. The ones in the open or under the edges of deciduous trees seem to be pretty reliable.
Are yours perhaps too deeply planted? They seem to like sitting almost out of the ground like some nerines.
cheers
fermi