Amaryllis, The Perfect Christmas Gift

Dear All,

About a month ago I wrote about my forever love for Amaryllis. There are so many reasons to love this plant so much: from its beauty, to the resilience and the versatility when it comes growing it and to giving it as a gift. As Advent time is starting today, I would like to give you some recommendations as the perfect gift, be it for a family member, a work colleague or a friend.

Amaryllis comes in all colors and shapes and luckily as Fluwel, we offer many varieties. For Christmas time, I personally prefer the reds, usually the dark ones or anything with really, really big flowers. Since I grew most of the dark reds, I can confirm yet again that ‘Grand Diva’ is my absolute favorite: although not the darkest red currently available, her presence beats them all, so elegant and eye-catching, like a true diva having the ball of her life. However, a good performer is of course ‘Premiere’, an older variety with perfectly symmetric blooms and a darker red than Grand Diva.

If you want to go for the darkest, check out ‘Mandela’, she is so mysterious. If you prefer the cybister type, you must get ‘Red Amazone’ or if you like the doubles, check out ‘Velvet Nymph’, she is really like red velvet, so so elegant. You know, I planted another ‘Red Cream’ just yesterday, this time for my sister, because like me, she loves big flowers. Red Cream has the biggest of them all, 25 cm in diameter and more.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without pure, white flowers. Above all, I prefer ‘Moscow’, with its perfectly shaped flowers. If you want to go for a wilder looking white, check out ‘White Cream’, with its whimsical blooms, almost like ballerinas from The Nutcracker ballet. I think this variety is perfect as a cut flower: it has long and sturdy stems, multiple flowers per stem that stay fresh in a vase for days and days.

From the doubles, I really like the symmetry of ‘White Amadeus’, it really looks like a white lotus bloom. But, if you want something with really big, double white flowers, go for ‘Polar Belle’, a novelty with really impressive blooms that can have a pink tinge, just like a bride on her wedding day.

In case you are looking for a gift for an avid Amaryllis lover, make sure to check out ‘Cleopatra’, she is the latest addition to our assortment. When I tell you it is a really good performer, she is really it: reblooming without problems, resistant to fungus issues and always blooming with at least 2 stems. My favorite thing about her is that she looks like she is smiling all the time, like a teenage girl in love. I really, really love Cleopatra and wish there were more H. papilio hybrids like her.

Also from the new varieties, I can really recommend you to check out ‘Balance’, it has a very interesting color pattern, something like a strawberry candy swirl and for some reasons it reminds me of the beginning of summer, when days are pleasantly warm, but not hot yet. Beyond this, it is one of the doubles that performs really well, just like ‘Aphrodite’.

These are just a few recommendations, we have a lot more varieties in our assortment. In case you are still not sure yet what variety to choose, please let us know via email. I will be very happy to personally help you choose the best option. Beyond putting up the Christmas Tree and baking biscuits in the Advent time of the year, I really, really love wrapping up gifts for my loved ones. What is your favorite tradition? Let us know via email, Instagram or Facebook. This was it everyone, we wish you a wonderful time with your family and friends.

Yours,

Vlad

P.S. Did you know you can still plant spring bulbs? Yes, as long as the ground is not frozen, you can still do it. I myself tend to plant quite late, sometimes until mid December. Being so busy with everything, this is what happens almost every year. Nevertheless, the bulbs I plant that late perform very well. Beyond Amaryllis, my absolute love is the daffodil. I always go for the really big ones, like ‘Over the Top’. It is indeed like this: so big, so impressive and so sturdy, that no windy storm will put these big blooms down. And its fragrance? So subtle, like the shampoo my mom used to get me in my childhood. Ah, these sweet memories. Beyond Over the Top, I really like ‘Wisley’, as it looks like fairies’ hats, on a bright spring day. I also ‘Spinner’, simply because it reminds me of a happy windmill, one of the Dutch symbols.