The $5 amaryllis update and a big surprise

My husband has accused me on multiple occasions of trying to turn The House of Goodwill into a gardening blog.  I'd argue that it's more about celebrating all the little inexpensive pleasures and flowers are definitely one of them.  (Or they can be.)

That said, I think maybe in another life I'd make a great florist.  Growing and arranging flowers has become one of my favorite hobbies as an adult.  I mean, they're just SO beautiful!

So I promised I would share an update on the $5 amaryllis bulb from WalMart that I mailed to my mom in Florida at Christmas.

Here's a pic of the text she sent me after it bloomed:

So maybe I didn't inherit my "flower presentation" skills from my mom either...😉

I think this hot pink amaryllis bulb was named "Ferrari" on the package.

Beautiful!

And here's a pic of the one I bought myself:

I picked one for myself that I had never had before; it has beautiful striated, soft colored red & white petals.  Lovely!

I even gave a beautiful white amaryllis bulb to my sister-in-law (who laughs about her black thumb) as an early gift in December, and I saw it blooming profusely at Christmas.  Mine did not cooperate timing-wise, but it was worth waiting for!

And finally, I received a VERY surprising surprise when my dogs started barking like crazy at the door recently.  When I went to the door to find out the reason, I found a big, long FTD box sitting outside on the porch.

What was inside?

Wow!!  Look at these colors!!

These were truly unexpected.  And the card inside read:

And now I know why I got that random text from my mom asking which house I was at that week...I was so touched by the unexpected thoughtfulness...and I felt a little guilty about the $5 amaryllis I sent her!  (I mean, I could have mailed two $5 amaryllises, right? 😉)

It was a surprise I will NEVER forget.

So when we drove to The House of Goodwill on Friday, the roses went with us:

I'm not sure how my husband always gets the flowers there in one piece; that's his job.  I just hand him the flowers/plants when we're going back and forth and say "these need to get there."  Somehow he always manages to do it without casualties.

And since my $5 amaryllis had taken it's time blooming, it had to go too:

The House of Goodwill's official mascot, the "duck" loves the amaryllis as well!  I'm thinking my duck needs a name..?

Seriously, if next December rolls around and you've never bought yourself a $5 amaryllis from WalMart or Lowe's, go do it!

They last much longer and have way fewer calories than a peppermint mocha from Starbuck's.  (And they probably cost less too...)  

And don't forget, they mail well!