麻豆约拍

I鈥檓 toying with the idea of buying some Amaryllis bulbs as presents this Christmas or should I say Hippeastrum to give them their proper botanical name.

But whatever they are called, they are gorgeous, easy to grow and among the very best flowering bulbs with which to dress the house at Christmas or any other time of the year. Years ago a friend gave me a kit as a housewarming present... bulb, pretty pot, compost and all.

I hadn鈥檛 grown Amaryllis before and I can still remember my delight and amazement as the bulb sprouted and grew and the flower at last revealed itself in all it's showy glory.

It took a while for anything to happen and for weeks I scrutinised the bare soil on a daily basis, willing the tiny green nub of the shoot to emerge. It taught me patience and a degree of caution too, as I resisted the temptation to over-water to make things happen faster than they should.

All my watching and waiting eventually paid off as the shoot became a stem, developed leaves and a fat oval bud, from which in due course four stunning scarlet flowers unfurled.

It felt as if glamour had come to the party and for weeks it lit up the kitchen, never the prettiest, but always the brightest room in the house.

I can absolutely see why Amaryllis fans take such delight in growing these South American natives and the same sorts of gift sets as the one given to me, are sitting on well stocked shelves in shops as I write this.

And for the really well organised (definitely not me!) there is mail order bringing with it the chance to buy the more delicate and unusual Hippeastrum bulbs like 鈥淪umatra鈥� and 鈥� Bogota鈥� with their spidery, feathery, bright flowers.

Or why not go for the pale and interesting 鈥淪now Queen鈥� or 鈥淐hristmas Gift鈥� which in a prettily perverse way, flowers from September to November. The Royal Horticultural Society website will help you find out more about these lovely seasonal bulbs. Just go to www.rhs.co.uk