KAREN WIGHT -- No place like home

If you covet the fresh fragrance and charm of forced bulbs, it’s time

to get busy. A little effort now goes a long way when the holidays roll

around and you’re frantic to deck the halls.

Forced amaryllis and paperwhite bulbs are a welcome addition to any

room, and if you start now and continue to plant new bulbs every two

weeks until the middle of November, you will be sure to have Thanksgiving

through New Year’s Eve covered with beautiful, fragrant and magical

blooms.

The selection of amaryllis bulbs has grown as big as the flowers

themselves. There are new varieties being hybridized every year, and the

choice of colors and bicolors is breathtaking.

If you want to start your holiday bulb planting today, go for an

apricot variety of amaryllis Rilona. These peach and apricot rippled

blooms would be a magnificent addition to the Thanksgiving table. If you

want to capture the color of sunset, try Nagano, with its burnt-orange

hues, or Charmeur, a miniature that has bright orange blooms with a white

throat.

Head into the holidays with a selection of bulbs for every occasion.

Do you like the classic whites? Christmas Gift has pure white flowers

that measure 6 to 8 inches across. It’s a present that opens itself.

Green Goddess is a miniature variety that has ruffled white and

chartreuse flowers. Even the miniature versions have giant blooms up to 7

inches across. If you like the look of a double flower, White Peacock has

a feathery, tropical look with a green tinge in the center.

Do you long for color? Go for the classic and flamboyant Red Lion

variety. Each stem has four or five bright red blooms that measure 4

inches across on top of a long, sturdy stem. These bulbs are impressive.

If you like candy canes, Dancing Queen may satisfy your sweet tooth.

These red and white striped blooms are unusual and regal. Arose is a

double amaryllis variety that looks like an old-fashioned rose with

double-petaled red flowers with white throats. The blossoms are 8 inches

wide and the stems are 20 inches tall. Wow.

If unusual appeals to you, try the miniature variety Papilio. Each

stem has three to five burgundy and chartreuse blooms. It almost has an

orchid quality with its unusual colors. My favorite exotic is Emerald.

The starry petals are narrow and dramatic. The cerise, bright green and

white markings put an interesting tweak on the traditional holiday

colors.

Amaryllis are great in pots with soil, but they can also be forced in

water, just like paperwhites. Choose a dish, vase or bowl without a hole

in the bottom. Forced bulbs don’t need a fancy container; the flowers

speak for themselves. Any ceramic or glass dish will do. Looking for

something to do with an old fishbowl? Bulbs. Old florist vases that never

get used again? Bulbs. Mismatched bowls from grandma’s estate? Bulbs.

Fill the container with pea gravel, marbles, sea glass, small shells

or glass beads. Set the bulbs on top, gently press into place and fill

the container with water until it reaches the base of the bulb. Place in

indirect sunlight, keep the roots covered with water, and you will have

weeks worth of beautiful blooms.

Live flowers are a beautiful way to decorate your home for the

holidays. A little time well spent will pay off in spades.

KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs Saturdays.

Photo Caption: This Red Lion amaryllis is a dramatic addition to any

room in your home.