If you want flowers for Christmas, get a move on

There’s a garden job that you should be doing right now and I bet you’re not even thinking about it.

If you want flowers for the holidays, it’s time to plant amaryllis bulbs.

I know what you’re thinking: Aren’t amaryllis bulbs those things you buy in a festive box from the endcap at the garden center when you need a quick gift?

Well, yes, they are, but there’s a whole other world of amaryllis out there and I can almost guarantee that it’s more interesting than that regular old red one that’s going to come out of the plastic pot lurking in the box.

You don’t have to look far to find amaryllis that look nothing like what you think amaryllis look like. Several online bulb suppliers and some garden centers sell a variety of bare bulbs that grow into wild looking flowers.

Some are frilly doubles, others sport a perfect bright start center. Others have crisp picotee edge petals that look like someone has painted a perfect line around them. Others resemble an exotic orchid.

They come in a range of colors that include snowy white, terracotta, neon pink, deep burgundy, lime green, soft pink and yes, traditional Christmas red.

And they have all the best attributes of amaryllis in common — large, showy flowers that stand at the top of tall stems (some taller than others depending on the variety) and flower for weeks. And they are easy to grow.

But most of these bulbs require more work than just opening a box. You’re going to have to plant them.

Amaryllis don’t need a lot of room, and since, like most bulbs, they risk rotting if they are kept too wet, it’s better to plant them in smaller pots with drainage holes, with just an inch or two of room around the bulb. You can use any potting mix but not bagged potting soil, which doesn’t provide enough drainage. The key is, that unlike bulbs like daffodils and tulips, which are planted below the soil, amaryllis should be planted with between a third and a half of the bulb sticking out the top of the soil.

They need only a small amount of water after planting, and they appreciate a warm spot to get started. I put mine on seed-starting mats, but that’s not necessary.

In a few weeks they will start growing and a flower stalk, or sometimes a leaf, will emerge from the center of the bulb, and this is when you can start watering a little more. This is also when they need bright light, lest the growing flowers stalks start bending.

The whole process takes about six weeks, which means that if you want flowers for Christmas or soon thereafter, it’s time to get a move on.

And if you’re giving them as a gift, just imagine how thrilled the recipient will be when unexpectedly beautiful flowers (that maybe aren’t just the usual red) bloom for weeks.