I recently received a lovely gift of two Amaryllis bulbs, which will bloom great big red blooms come December. That is, if I make haste and plant the bulbs in their pots right away! In fact, these bulbs were a much appreciated gift as I was recently thinking that I needed to get my act together and start planting Amaryllis, Paperwhite, and Hyacinth bulbs in anticipation of the holidays, when the more blooms there are inside a house, the more festive the house appears.
I gathered up photos which show interiors that were made homey by pots of blooming flowers. I love the big burst of color that an Amaryllis provides, while I appreciate Paperwhites for their delicate little blooms and their elegant fragrance. (Not everybody likes the fragrance of Paperwhites, though; my parents think that they smell like an electrical fire.) And Hyacinths! What can I say? Their sweet fragrance instantly puts me in a good mood.
So, that's it for now. I'm off to do a little potting. Once your Amaryllis and Paperwhites start to bloom, send me photos. I would love to see them.
PS- As much as I love a fancy cachepot, I think that these particular blooms look best in plain terracotta pots or baskets.
The three photos above came from A Tiffany Christmas by John Loring. Don't they put you in the mood for Christmas?
Sister Parish had Paperwhites in her entry hall...
...and Hyacinths in her living room.
There were quite a few pots of Amaryllis in this photograph of Greentree, the Whitney's Long Island estate that was decorated by Parish-Hadley.
Amaryllis also dotted this Parish-Hadley designed Manhattan dining room, which was inspired by Liselund in Denmark.
A solo burst of crimson in the club room at 44 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, which was decorated by John Fowler.
A blue and white bowl of Paperwhites in a blue and white room by Colefax and Fowler.
Amaryllis, Paperwhites, and Hyacinths graced three different Mario Buatta-decorated homes, above.
They also appeared in homes designed by another great, Keith Irvine.
That room at Greentree always amazes me to no end: some of the greatest masterpieces of the Impressionist era hung on the walls, and the fringe on the chairs chewed away by the dogs and cats. A type of American décor we'll never see again.
ReplyDeleteWe grow amaryllis each year. I like the red varieties. Think there's nothing more inspiring than a red amaryllis coming into bloom just after Christmas. Helps to cheer up gloomy post-Christmas January, and a reminder that Spring will come- eventually. I cannot stress how gloomy London is in January. Quite tricky getting the thing to bloom exactly when you want. Hope your book launch went well.
ReplyDeleteyou reminded me to get bulbs + plant, plant, plant + thank you. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder--I'm always late (ie Christmas in January).
ReplyDeleteMary
Jennifer I love winter bulbs. They are such a fun surprise and add a lovely fragrance to every room at the holidays!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Karena
The Arts by Karena