Happy (modern) holidays! Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) ‘Evergreen’ (another cybister hybrid, I believe?) is blooming in my studio now, and its gorgeous spiky lime-green flowers are making my spirits bright! I hope you have something lovely to improve the view from your desk too.

Here’s ‘Evergreen’ with amaryllis ‘La Paz’ (the second stalk is in bloom now, with another bud still to open!), and a bud of miniature ‘Lemon Sorbet’ for scale. Full-size amaryllis need a lot of space, but have a dramatic presence that earns it, in my opinion!

Here’s a better view of ‘La Paz’ still blooming away!

When I’m not enjoying them on my desk, my amaryllis live on a low bookshelf in front of a south-facing window in my studio. Yes, it’s possible I went a little overboard this year…but don’t they brighten up a rainy winter day? (Don’t despair if yours haven’t started to grow yet — some of mine are taking their time too! I like how it spreads out the show.)

Want to see more sneak peeks into my studio and what’s growing and/or blooming here? See the studio flowers tag, or just the amaryllis. Or, click on modern holiday if that’s what you’re after!

My kind of holiday look — the spiky, modern botanical version! I planted this amaryllis ‘La Paz’ earlier this fall, and it shot up into bloom with very little fuss. It can be hard to find these cybister-type amaryllis, but I think it’s absolutely worthwhile. (Yes, I know they’re actually Hippeastrum, but everyone still calls them amaryllis.) Here’s the full-length version — this is about two feet tall, and very dramatic! It could probably use a little more light (it sits in a south-facing window when not on my desk), and is almost a foot taller than my miniature ‘Dragonfly’ amaryllis.

I really love these tall terracotta rose pots for amaryllis — they’re heavy enough not to tip over easily, and they give the plants a nice, deep root run. I believe these are called ‘Long Tom’ pots in England? I found them at my local nursery. ‘Dragonfly’ is in a 4.25-inch diameter pot, and ‘La Paz’ got a 6-inch diameter pot.

Maybe they’ll inspire some new Mechanical Garden collection designs…

Want to see more sneak peeks into my studio and what’s growing and/or blooming here? See the studio flowers tag, or just the amaryllis. Or, click on modern holiday if that’s what you’re after!

It’s feeling festive in my studio these days…in a pared-back sense that suits my style, anyway! My favorite modern holiday decorations are the ones I enjoy year-round, like this amaryllis ‘Dragonfly’ and these Wraptillion ornaments.

Whether I’m hanging them individually in a window or grouping them on a tree for winter, I love the modern botanical style these ornaments bring. After all, art should be enjoyed year-round, don’t you think? And although theoretically I could force my amaryllis (it’s really a hippeastrum, if you want to be proper about it) to bloom at a particular time, it suits me better to let them bloom when they’re ready. This miniature ‘Dragonfly’ is the first this year, and the light green petals and wine-red stripes are so lovely in the gray, rainy light from my window!

If that isn’t winter magic, I don’t know what is!

Can you see the resemblance to the Trellis and Garland Earrings from my botanical-inspired Mechanical Garden collection? Or is that just me??

Back to work now…or as soon as I can tear my eyes away!

Want to see more sneak peeks into my studio and what’s growing and/or blooming here? See the studio flowers tag, or just the amaryllis. Or, click on modern holiday if that’s what you’re after!