20-30 Club hosts Easter Egg hunt

20-30 Club hosts Easter Egg hunt

The Carson Valley Active 20-30 Club No. 85 hosts their 2023 Easter Egg Hunt on noon-1 p.m. Sunday at Lampe Park, 1324 Waterloo Lane in Gardnerville.

Lots of colorful eggs will be placed about, and finders of golden eggs receive a special prize. The Easter Bunny will be on hand to greet all egg hunters during the festivities.

The Carson Valley Active 20-30 Club No. 85 was founded in 1932 and chartered on May 25, 1934. Club membership emphasizes community service, leadership development, personal growth, and friendship. Members donate thousands of hours each year to help raise funds for children’s charities and local scholarships. The club also hosts the annual Carson Valley Days Festival, which takes place June 8-11 this year.

Meetings are held on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at the old Gardnerville Jailhouse, 1440 Courthouse Street. Find more information online at carsonvalley2030.com.

Amaryllis arrives in April

Back in February, I shared a story about a potted amaryllis my family received as a Christmas gift from my dad and stepmom. The festive container held three bulbs nestled beneath some decorative moss. The bulbs were supposed to sprout and bloom over the winter holidays, but there were no signs of growth in the pot until mid-January.

After watering the container and watching it for about a month, it was fun to see a single sprout start emerge from the soil. It quickly grew into a robust stem and opened in a beautiful red blooming just before Valentine’s Day.

There was no other growth through February, and I figured the other two bulbs were duds. After the red blossoms wilted, I cut the stem down and kept the pot in a south-facing window away from direct sunlight and watered it occasionally.

It seems those conditions were just right, as the remaining bulbs have since developed into two more striking amaryllis stalks, each with 4-5 glorious, white flowers, some tinged with red. There’s still a whole cluster that has yet to open, and I’m delighted that these blooms are here to welcome springtime and Easter.

This delayed blooming is a great reminder to me that even if I have a specific schedule in mind, things often evolve or arrive in their own time. Being patient resulted in a sweet payoff, and the amaryllis makes me smile each time I look at it. It’s truly been a gift that has kept on giving.

The botanical name for amaryllis is Hippeastrum. A tropical-subtropical bulb, amaryllis are commonly grown indoors throughout North America. The instructions that came with the container said the following steps will help support the bulbs in reblooming next year:

After flowering, cut the amaryllis stalk back to right above the neck of the bulb. Leave the foliage intact, as it helps restore the bulb and prepares it for another blooming.

Keep the pot in a sunny window. Fertilize regularly and water only when soil is dry. Once the danger of frost has passed, keep the pot outdoors until autumn when frost kills the leaves off.

Clear the foliage and store the bulb(s) by resting them in a cool, dark, dry place for 2.5 months. Do not water.

To re-bloom, place the container in indirect light at room temperature. Keep soil moist and water more frequently as the leaves grow and flowers open.

To prevent toppling and keep the plant growing straight, periodically rotate the container as stalks bend toward the light source.

I’ve never attempted to regrow an amaryllis, but I plan to follow these tips and give it a try.

Amy Roby can be reached at ranchosroundup@hotmail.com.