Naked Lady in the Garden-Amaryllis belladonna

Naked Lady Lily in full bloom

Sipping coffee in my elderly neighbor's kitchen, I noticed a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he told me there was a naked lady in his garden.  Never anything but a gentleman, I was surprised by his humor and took the bait.  "Yep, right by the corner of the house, right next to my wife's camellia bush"....we traipsed out there together.  And sure enough, there was a stunning pink, fragrant lily without a single bit of foliage nearby.  She was my first encounter with nudity in the garden.....

Naked Lady Lily in garden

Ladies in bud stage

July foliage dies back

A few years later, another friend offered to share her plants with me.  After a full day of weeding, I brought my enormous bulbs home and planted them in my own garden.  Naked ladies can be a bit finnicky, I guess we can't blame them, but it took mine 3 years to bloom again.

Here's how to grow them:

Plant in deep, rich soil in full sun.  The top of the bulb just below the soil.  Water regularly.  Around July the foliage will shrivel up and you'll think you killed the poor girls.  When the leaves turn brown, trim them away.  In a few weeks purplish red stalks will appear.  Shortly thereafter, the buds will open and bear up to a dozen 3-4 inch blooms.  Good prices at the following site:

willowcreekgardens.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=328

While the flowers are beautiful, they do look a bit odd all alone in the September garden.  Next spring I'll have to remember to plant a companion for them.  Perhaps Lady's Mantle?

Happy Gardening!