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Swapping Huckleberries

Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album)  Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album) has been an attractive feature along our north-facing foundation since I planted it in 2016. You will have to take my word for it since I cannot locate a photo although I know one exists somewhere in the realm of the Internet or floating on a cloud somewhere.  I did locate a photo of how it looked when it was first planted - It took a few years to fill out but it did so nicely to an attractive mound about 2 feet high by 3 feet wide.  Last year, it started to look bad.  I cut it back but it had not improved and this is how it looked a few weeks ago - I decided to rip it out and plant another huckleberry - this time Vaccinium ovatum , more commonly known as the "Evergreen Huckleberry".  This is a plant that I've wanted for ages and kept putting off getting one because I could not find a good place for it. By most accounts, this is an amazing plant, a native one and excellent for
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Potting Amaryllis


I love growing amaryllis but I never get them planted early enough for a Christmas bloom. To do that, you need to get them potted at least 6-8 weeks before. So, once again, I will anticipate blooms in January. 

For now, I've placed them in our plant window that extends out the kitchen window. Once they begin to grow tall, I may have to move them to another location.


This year, I have three different varieties and I am also experimenting with pot sizes (mainly because I did not have three of the same size on hand). 

Amaryllis like to be pot-bound so that should not be a problem with my two smallest pots. Even the largest pot is not really that big so it should suffice. 

The varieties are -

'La Paz'

'Naranja'



'Red Peacock'







Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Kris PetersonNovember 29, 2022 at 5:29 PM

    Mine arrived later than I'd expected (even though pre-ordered in August) and, as all my pots are sitting outside, they're not getting the warmth they want to push them into bloom quickly in any case. Only one, a dwarf variety, has begun to sprout so I suspect it'll be January or later before I see flowers also. I went crazy and ordered a total of 18 (8 varieties), one trio of which was 'La Paz'. Some will be gifts...

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  2. Lisa at GreenbowNovember 30, 2022 at 4:12 AM

    You have some beautiful colors of amaryllis. I might even try one this winter. It is nice to have January blooms, something to look forward to. Everything is so grey and brown here.

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  3. Hoover BooNovember 30, 2022 at 10:47 AM

    Have always wanted 'La Paz' and never can seem to find any Cybister type. What a beauty! You can always save the bulbs and time them next year to flower at Christmas. The method is somewhere on the internet. Here easier to plant them in the ground--they are dropping their foliage now, will wake up in March and flower in April.

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  4. AnonymousNovember 30, 2022 at 11:56 AM

    I've had unusually good luck planting amaryllis in cylindrical glass vases. Sometimes called "hurricane candle holders" I used 5" wide x 12" tall. I put a few inches of gravel in the bottom, then some soil surrounding the bulb and leave them on a windowsill. After they bloom and the leaves have completely died and dried, I put the entire thing in a dark closet. This is my 3rd year with some of them, so it will be interesting to see if they bloom. Leaves have emerged, so that's a good sign. Happy Holidays Phillip and Michael!

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    1. Phillip OliverNovember 30, 2022 at 3:11 PM

      Interesting - do you leave it in the closet all year? I've tried keeping them by planting outside and bringing them back in during the Fall but haven't had luck. I've seen photos of the glass vases. I need to try that.

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