Almost Forgotten

More than a month ago, when I was buying the last of my fall bulbs for planting outdoors, I picked up yet another Amaryllis, Hippeastrum 'Rilona'. Well, because of some needed construction work around the house and yard, I didn't get to plant a lot of those bulbs, (mostly Crocus and Narcissus) until quite late. So they stayed in the paper shopping bag from the nursery for a long time. So did the Amaryllis. In my rush to finally get last of the bulbs in the ground in the days after Thanksgiving, the Amaryllis stayed behind.

Finally, last week, I asked myself, "Why the heck haven't I thrown away this crumpled paper bag?" I looked inside and found the bulb, with two very pale but strong looking flower stalks emerging, almost horizontally, toward the small amount of light they were getting from the opening in the bag. So of course, I took the bulb out of the bag. But did I do the right thing, and plant it up right away? Well, no. (Here is where you can picture your Crazy Plant Lady looking sheepishly at the floor and swinging her foot back and forth.) I was busy, so I just propped the bulb up in an empty pot, not too far from a window. At least that way, I reasoned, it would grow straight and green until I could get to it.

Well as of this writing, I still haven't planted it. And here is how it looked just a short while ago:

Hippeastrum 'Rilona,' supported by the grouping of terrariums I use as my dining table centerpiece

It actually looks pretty, just sitting there on the mirror. And I'd be inclined to leave it there, if the poor thing hadn't already suffered enough. I promise, that just as soon as I post this, I will plant it up properly.