A softer take on the winter bulb
Pink Hippeastrum cultivars run from pale blush to deep rose and salmon. 'Apple Blossom', with white petals brushed pink, is an old favourite, and many hybrids carry a white stripe down each petal. Pink is often the choice for people who find red too loud for the sitting room.
Where to put it
A cool, bright room keeps pink blooms from fading too fast. A windowsill that gets morning light is ideal, and away from a heated radiator.
- Avoid draughts from doors on a cold night.
- Water when the compost feels dry an inch down.
- Stake the flower stem before it gets top-heavy.
Pink for Mothering Sunday
In Ireland amaryllis can also make a late-winter gift. A bulb started in January will bloom around Mothering Sunday in March, and pink suits the occasion.
Aftercare
Once the flowers fade, cut the stem but leave the leaves. Feed every two weeks through spring and summer. In late summer stop watering for eight weeks or so, then pot it up again and wait for a new stem.
In the language of flowers pink traditionally means affection and gratitude, a friendlier signal than red.
Poison warning
The ASPCA lists amaryllis as toxic to cats, dogs and horses, with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and tremors. Put the pot on a high shelf or in a room that pets cannot enter.
