I had the pleasure of plant-sitting for my friend Ellen earlier this year. Before heading southwest for the winter, she dropped off the most remarkable Christmas cactus and the most unremarkable pot of dirt which I was told contained an amaryllis bulb. I enjoyed sketching the cactus almost immediately. The bulb, on the other hand, mostly hung out in a cool, dark basement room where I watched the terra-cotta pot (for months) until, in her words, it stuck it's tongue out at me (through the soil). I then brought it upstairs, gave it a drink and boom. hello, amaryllis.
