This New Year’s Day I have sprouting amaryllis, daffodils and freesia bulbs in the garden. We’ve had a bit of rain in Los Angeles, so there are a few bulbs that take this as their cue to get an early start on spring flowers.
I am enchanted by the fragrance of freesias. I pick them up at the bargain store, divide a few every fall and I’ve been spreading them down the walkway. The purple seem to come up first, followed by groups of white and yellow. They sort of flop over, but I pick the flowers so often they aren’t on the ground for very long.
I am especially happy to see the amaryllis, or Naked Ladies. These little bulbs were on the outskirts of a big clump I divided last year.
These bulbs were the ‘runts’ of the group, small and shriveled papery little things with not a lot of meat on the inside.
I put these in the ground, marked them with a little white stake and crossed my fingers.
I am taking their leaves as a good omen, appropriate for a New Year’s day when we all hope for a better year.
Amaryllis flowers are giant, light pink trumpet shaped affairs, borne on bare stalks later in the year.
The flowers are so fragrant I can’t resist encouraging them to grow everywhere.
And they are from South Africa so they fit perfectly into one of my drought tolerant beds.
This rubble of green shown above, with soon be white calla lilies. They go completely underground during summer and come back at the first hint of serious water.
The daffodils are up and I even have a pair of flowers.
These are the Paper White variety with glowing white flowers with a smell from Heaven.
I think it’s safe to plant your bulbs now if you’re in southern California.
Let’s all hope for a better new year.