Sunday, January 30, 2022

Welsh Beauty

Progress has been made with Welsh Beauty, another swath across the quilt has been hand quilted.

The photos are from left to right then back again. They are the large size. Hopefully you can click on them to enlarge. I was afraid they would take too long to pull up on the post if I made them extra large.






It's rather exciting to see more and more of the center motif as I roll. There is more cross hatching between the sides and center but I didn't want to show photos of just cross hatching.

Here is a link to the first post I wrote about Welsh Beauty if you want more details.

The Amaryllis I showed you last week is now blooming and it's a white one! It stalk got a little floppy so it's staked with a dowel rod.

Two other bulbs are also blooming. The variegated one I purchased several years ago, the soft orange one is an oldie. I so enjoy the flowers.







The pictures aren't cooperating as I try to place them correctly, Blogger! 

Someone asked last week how to care for the plants when they're not blooming. Keep on watering them until it's warm enough to plant them outside in a flowerbed or your garden. I just pull them out of the pot, cut the leaves to about 6" then plant them. Crumble the soil a little so the roots spread out from the clump. 

Water them well and mulch them. If it gets very dry in the summer, you should water them if it's more than 3 weeks without rain. Make sure the soil is well drained though, you don't want them standing in water.

Let them grow until fall when the temperature starts cooling off at night. That's going to be different for where you live. I live in northern Indiana, just south of the Michigan state line. I pulled them the middle of October, washed the soil of the roots then let them dry in the garage. I have a mesh garden wagon so I left them in there.

The first of November I trimmed the roots then potted them in the cellar. Make sure to add a small rock to the bottom of the pot to help with tipping. I watered them well then just left them there in the dark until the first of December. They don't need light right away because it's the roots that are developing. I brought them up to the main house level. My plants are in full sun. Be careful not to over water them but as leaves and buds develop, they do need to be watered more often. 

After the flowers are finished, take a knife and cut off the flower stalk. I do keep track of some of the bulbs as to what color the flowers are. I had marked the white bulb because that's the only white one I have. It does have a couple 'baby' bulbs this year. Depending on how big those babies are, I may remove them next fall when I pot the bulbs. 

If you look at the picture of the three plants, you may notice behind them there is a pot full of baby plants. There are 7 babies in there, eventually they'll mature and have flowers. The variegated bulb also has a baby. 

My siblings and I take turns hosting a family Christmas reunion. This year was my year (I was actually supposed to host last year but postponed a year). I had a box with 10 potted Amaryllis plants to give away which were raised from babies.

My Christmas cactus was in full bloom when I returned from Phoenix.  She's still blooming! Love those pink flowers.



21 comments:

  1. Wonderful flowers, Gretchen.
    So nice seeing your progress in this beauty. Well done! Well done!!

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  2. Dear Gretchen,
    Your Welsh Beauty is looking amazing. What a great way to grow these bulbs. I have never tried to grow them, always see them. A friend up north grows them, she has a sun room and in the winter takes her one’s indoors so to speak. When the plants produce babies then you know you have the touch to grow them. Wonderful gift to send everyone home with, a living floral arrangement so to speak, especially with winter and the cold. Just to see the reds and greens, when all we see are snow and grey skies. A treat, indeed!

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    1. One of my sisters sent me a picture of the plant my niece took, it blooming so lovely! That sisters bulb has buds but wasn't blooming yet. My other sister took 2 plants (I forced the 2nd one on her, I didn't want to take any home!), neither one has any buds.

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  3. I have started toward the edge on one corner of Welsh Beauty, and I am really feeling encouraged. I think having one corner completely finished will motivate me. Yours is just beautiful, Gretchen! Love the photos of your amaryllis. My mom had those and they remind me if her.

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    1. It's so exciting for me to see I'm actually making progress. When I was working on just the crosshatching, I felt I just wasn't getting anywhere! You have the center of quilt quilt finished and a whole corner! That's great progress.

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  4. Hey Gretchen... excited you can see the center of the quilt approaching with all the quilting time you donate to this cross hatching each week now you are getting closer to some fun different stitching... this will be a cozy and well quilted quilt when done though... I love all your amaryllis flowers and how cool to give the babies once separated to you siblings! Thanks for the care tips.
    I am so glad you came home to the christmas cactus blooming fully too.. I just got a few blooms this year but next year should be better!
    Kathi

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    1. Fertilize your cactus occasionally, it does a world of good. When covid started, I repotted all my Christmas cactus with fresh new soil. It really made a difference. I used soil for succulents.

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  5. Your quilting is just gorgeous. I have 2 Christmas cactii that never bloom anymore. I know that I just don't take care of them correctly and they need to be repotted. Sigh... I love your amarylis. They are very pretty.

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  6. I just love your Amaryllis!! I need to write this down so I can try to take care of them right to have flowers for spring - I do think our winters are too cold to keep them in the ground although I never tried leaving them in the ground to see if they would make it through the winter - I might leave one in the ground and see what happens -- that quilting is just beautiful.

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    1. Years ago I had a reader comment that they live in Florida and leave the Amaryllis bulbs in the ground year round. You can try a bulb, mulch it well. Happy stitching!

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  7. Beautiful quilting and plants... you are spreading great beauty in the world!

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  8. Beautiful quilting, love seeing this project coming along. Thanks for the care of the Amaryllis. I got my first one in December. My flowers are just starting to die, and I just took it outside yesterday. I live in Northern CA. I think the danger of frost is over now.

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  9. I can just imagine the delight in see all your lovely quilting each time your roll the frame. The quilting on this quilt is astonishing. Your Amaryllis certainly love the conditions in your home. How fabulous there are so many babies. I love the idea of a gifted Amaryllis for Christmas. A host of Amaryllis in the garden would be a beautiful sight in the varying colours.

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  10. Your Welsh Beauty is fabulous! I love watching your beautiful hand quilting. Thanks for the inspiration!
    Wow, such beautiful amarylluses! I'm so impressed when I read how you take care of the plant and take it in and it blooms again, and you get new baby plants.

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  11. Your hand quilting is just breathtaking. You are a master with the needle!
    Thank you for sharing your flowers and talking about how you grow and care for them. I found it very interesting as I've never tried to grow this particular bulb. Gosh, they are so beautiful.

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  12. Beautiful quilting and your flowers are gorgeous.

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  13. Welsh Beauty is looking so good! It's going to be neat to see the effect of the different colors of thread after the print is washed out, isn't it?

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  14. That quilting is amazing! So very beautiful.

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