Apple Blossom Amaryllis Update

Two years ago I published a post, Plans to Grow My Apple Blossom Amaryllis in the Ground, regarding a beautiful amaryllis I had received as a Mother's Day gift. Amaryllis plants are hardy in my area, so later that year in the fall I planted it in a sunny spot next to the patio. Last year I was disappointed when it produced lovely foliage but no blooms. 

Why no blooms? Too much nitrogen fertilizer or soil that is too rich could be a culprit. Poor drainage is another possibility. I did not think any of these factors applied to my amaryllis. Too much shade? I eyed an overhanging dogwood branch and considered the possibility. Sun floods the area by the patio most of the day, but in that particular corner there was some shade part of the day. I trimmed back the tree branch and waited to see if the amaryllis would bloom this year.

Success! This year my Apple Blossom Amaryllis put on a show. Here the Apple Blossom Amaryllis had just begun blooming. Other plants are Coral Drift roses, Bacopa, and a silvery Artemesia. I used two unobtrusive green plastic stakes to hold the stalks upright.It grew to 34" tall and put out a total of eight blooms on two stalks. Each bloom was over 9" across.

My beautiful amaryllis has finished blooming now. I have cut off the tall stalks, but the strappy foliage remains, hopefully storing energy for additional blooms next year.

Summer Views From the Patio

Fallen rose petals lie at the feet of an old rusty rabbit near the patio. Summer is here. Today the official heat index was 98 and felt hotter than that. I don't like summer. Voles have been snacking in my garden again. Today I lost two mature Nandina 'Firepower' shrubs to them. Mildew has found my dogwoods and crepe myrtles. Every year I try to persuade myself to love summer, but the best I can do is to tolerate it. 

Despite my perennial complaints, the garden doesn't look bad. We have had enough rain, and the plants are lush. The landscape is layered with deep greens and jewel tones. Even in the mornings it is too steamy to venture outside for long, but here is a report of what is happening on and near the patio:

Okay, I love summer, after all. Look at my red banana plant!

Above: Pink 'Anthony Waterer' spirea, blue flowering 'Lady in Red' hydrangeas, and common day lilies, which have grown here for over a half century, provide some nice color in the garden adjacent to the patio.

Hydrangeas are blooming now. 'Endless Summer' has striking blue color, proof of our acid soil! The variegated plant in the pot is daphne.

Some more hydrangeas — 'Waterfall' is an unusual one growing at the base of a dogwood tree:Annuals on the patio will provide color through the season, as long as I remember to water and fertilize them.The Talavera lizard above is a nod to the real anole lizards who inhabit the patio every summer. I took the first photo of the lantern below before I realized there was a lizard lookout perched atop the pole. Lou tells me he is there every day.

Something of an oddity, a white poinsettia, left over from the Christmas season, is spending the summer on the patio. It still has its bracts and is now putting on new growth:

One more thing from the patio: I have a little iron bowl ornament, and I have had a hard time finding the perfect place for it. Then one day recently I set it on my penny table, and now it has a home. It looks great with the pennies, and it allows plenty of room for a book and a very cold drink when I am sitting in the adjacent lounge chair.

 Be cool!