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.

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Handmade Monday, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away