Where *are* my naked ladies?

Okay, they are not really naked or ladies, but members of the Amaryllis family, also known as “surprise lily” or “resurrection lily.” The flower scapes (or leafless stems) emerge in late summer or early autumn after the foliage has died back and disappeared. Each stalk bears 4-7 flowers that are quite fragrant.  When shopping for bulbs, look for Lycoris squamigera.

After seeing these blooming abundantly in California in late August last year, I was pleased to find them for sale at Green Spring’s Fall Garden Festival (this year’s Fall Garden Festival will be on Saturday, Oct. 2). I know I planted them somewhere (hmm ... where I don't recall) but have yet to see any trace of them. I had all but forgotten, until this group of naked ladies waved hello to me this week at Oatlands Plantation near Leesburg, Va.

Experienced gardeners advise patience; they say it may take a year or two before my naked ladies settle in and put on a similar show.

Queen of the Night

This post comes from my sister, Beth Skulas, and features a night blooming Cereus (epiphyllum oxypetalum), a member of the cactus family. It is also called Dutchman's Pipe.

A bit like Cinderella at the ball, the night blooming Cereus blooms only at night and for only one night. By morning the blossoms have wilted.  Due to bad luck or bad timing, some people never see the plant in bloom.

Beth’s plant is about 15 years old, a descendant of one that our Grandmother raised and our cousin propagated. It began blooming every summer about 7 years ago, once with as many as nine blooms in a single night. The blooms are especially fragrant. Some say the center stamens depict the nativity scene, with the largest "starlike" stamen, representing the star over Bethlehem.

There are a number of videos available in which you can see the buds slowly opening. Follow this link to see one in which three flowers opening simultaneously.  Enjoy and thank you, Beth.