A must-grow plant

Not a bad day today, with sunshine on and off throughout the day. I had things to get on with indoors in the morning, but had to walk down to the town after lunch for a dental appointment. I really don't like visiting the dentist, but unlike the elderly and poor-sighted dentist of my childhood, my current dentist is a very pleasant and friendly young lady; in fact the whole practice seems to be run by young ladies! When I first signed on with her I suppose I must have commented on my fear of dentists as she said 'Don't worry, we'll look after you', and so they do.

As always, I had my camera with me in the hope of getting a good picture for a Blip, but although I took a few photographs nothing really exciting cropped up.

It was only when I got home that I noticed my beautiful Hippeastrum x acramannii had opened its first flower - I thought it would be a couple of days at least. Unlike the usual range of Hippeastrum, usually wrongly labelled as Amaryllis, this one is hardy, or is around here. It's sometimes labelled as Hippeastrum x ackermannii and I grew it for years outside at Arduaine and it's been outside in a pot here in Oban for the last six years. One website jokingly says "Probably not so hardy at the bottom of a frost pocket in an open field in the Midlands during a particularly severe winter but... " ! . . . but worth a try if you live in a milder place. Like yesterday's Blip, another surprisingly hardy plant.