Here we have a December Amaryllis caught in the soft morning sunlight that slants through an east window. The tropical flower is named after the mythical Greek nymph, Amaryllis, who loved Alteo, a shepherd.
Unfortunately, Alteo paid Amaryllis no attention, even when she pierced her heart with a golden arrow and spilled drops of her blood on the path she took to plead with Alteo. However, after 30 days, each drop grew into a beautiful red flower. This finally got Alteo’s attention and he fell in love with Amaryllis. (Talk about playing “hard to get!”) In actuality, the Amaryllis originated in South Africa and its bulb cultivation and marketing began in the early 1700s. (Brooklin, Maine)