Amaryllis Apple Blossom- from bulb to bud

Incase you didn't know, it cost four pounds

One Amaryllis would be enough for most people, but not me.  While my first amaryllis was doing its thing, flowering and snapping and wilting, the sorry tale of which can be found here, I had a sneaky second one quietly doing its thing on the kitchen windowsill.  You may think that I wouldn't be able to find anything else to say about my beloved amaryllis, but oh you would be wrong!  The difference between this one and my first is that this one has grown completely in my presence, rather than literally just popping into flower the moment I got it over my threshold.

It didn't live outside, at this time of year you have to go where the light is
notice the blunt cut.

I can't say I had great hopes for this bulb as it didn't start life in the most luxurious surroundings.  Contained in a cardboard box and stacked outside the door of a Wilkinsons, it felt like a bit of a punt even buying it, but for 4 pounds I felt it was worth the risk if there was a chance the bulb might flower anything like the picture on the box said it would.

See It just emerged from the bulb one day fully formed!

The reason I was a little doubtful of the bulbs viability was that the stem had been cut bluntly in the past so it just didn't look like it would do anything.  However shortly after being exposed to some light two little bright green fresh leaf tips poked out the old stem like little green rabbit ears.  Great I thought, here comes the huge stem that will produce the flower.  Or not.  Instead two whopping leaves grew a foot and a half high tall without so much of a sniff of a stem.  Leaves don't exactly have the backbone for that kind of height so a bit of scaffolding had to be installed on the form of a stick to prop them upright rather than draping all over the kitchen.

On its way up

I was understandably a little concerned at this point as it appeared I had bought a bulb that only produces leaves, and from a bulb that I don't think is exactly known for its leafiness, but then one day the top of a bud suddenly emerged from one of the crusty folds in the bulb quite separately to the leaves.  Its been quite fascinating watching this bud form, although I use them term 'form' loosely here.  Turns out the bud emerges from the bulb fully formed and already at its final size.  How weird is that?  Not just weird, how is that even possible?!  Its literally like a little hatch in the bulb suddenly opens one day and out trundles this gigantic bud.  I truly find it bizarre that this is even possible.  Then over a matter of just a few days the bud shot up on the usual meaty stem, so apart from the weirdly long leaves it was then at the same stage as the other one when I first bought it.

Unfortunately those silly leaves really do spoil the overall appearance of the plant
especially as they require propping up, again it didn't live here its a question of light

Having already extensively covered the rather fabulous manner in which these plants open, I am just going to skip to saying how beautiful this variety is.  My gamble paid off; amaryllis 'Apple Blossom' is even more lovely than my orange one was if thats possible, and it looks exactly like the one on the box!    How can one amaryllis possibly be more beautiful than another?  Well its apple blossom's beautiful colouring that has won me over.  Although predominantly white, the petals are ribbed with pink in the most delightful way.  But lets face it, its the shock of bright green that has really grabbed me.  Zingy!  The flowers aren't as big as the orange one but Im hoping to keep it until next year and then they will be bigger.  The flowers are beginning to fade now, I would say quicker than the last one, but seeing as it chose to snap off after like a week I can't really compare.  I photographed every last move this plant has made so rather than making this a post of epic proportions I have saved the pictures of it out in full bloom for tomorrow, so pop back to see it in its full glory.