Amaryllis belladonna 'Bill's Angels' (10+ SEEDS)
PLEASE NOTE: These seeds must be opened and planted as soon as they arrive. These seeds naturally begin their early stages of germinating when they are still maturing on the plant, and they WILL continue to sprout inside your packets if you leave them in there! By purchasing you agree that you understand that these seeds cannot be stored for later planting.
Amaryllis belladonna ‘Bill’s Angels’
We are calling these seeds ‘Bill’s Angels’ in honor of their breeder, the incomparable Bill Welch. Known locally as “Bill the Bulb Baron,” Bill was an astounding Santa Cruz, CA local bulb breeder who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in December of 2019. These seeds were gathered this fall from an exquisite collection of white and blush flowering Amaryllis bulbs that we purchased from Bill and his breeding program eight years ago.
While growing bulbs from seed is undoubtedly a labor of love and patience, the beauty of these hybrids is truly incomparable! And once established, these beauties can quite literally last a lifetime, are nearly indestructible, and require very little care beyond your appreciation.
**These seeds will ship the second and third week of November ONLY. After that they will be removed from our shop.
PLEASE NOTE: These seeds must be opened and planted as soon as they arrive. These seeds naturally begin their early stages of germinating when they are still maturing on the plant, and they WILL continue to sprout inside your packets if you leave them in there! By purchasing you agree that you understand that these seeds cannot be stored for later planting.
Amaryllis belladonna ‘Bill’s Angels’
We are calling these seeds ‘Bill’s Angels’ in honor of their breeder, the incomparable Bill Welch. Known locally as “Bill the Bulb Baron,” Bill was an astounding Santa Cruz, CA local bulb breeder who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in December of 2019. These seeds were gathered this fall from an exquisite collection of white and blush flowering Amaryllis bulbs that we purchased from Bill and his breeding program eight years ago.
While growing bulbs from seed is undoubtedly a labor of love and patience, the beauty of these hybrids is truly incomparable! And once established, these beauties can quite literally last a lifetime, are nearly indestructible, and require very little care beyond your appreciation.
**These seeds will ship the second and third week of November ONLY. After that they will be removed from our shop.
PLEASE NOTE: These seeds must be opened and planted as soon as they arrive. These seeds naturally begin their early stages of germinating when they are still maturing on the plant, and they WILL continue to sprout inside your packets if you leave them in there! By purchasing you agree that you understand that these seeds cannot be stored for later planting.
Amaryllis belladonna ‘Bill’s Angels’
We are calling these seeds ‘Bill’s Angels’ in honor of their breeder, the incomparable Bill Welch. Known locally as “Bill the Bulb Baron,” Bill was an astounding Santa Cruz, CA local bulb breeder who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in December of 2019. These seeds were gathered this fall from an exquisite collection of white and blush flowering Amaryllis bulbs that we purchased from Bill and his breeding program eight years ago.
While growing bulbs from seed is undoubtedly a labor of love and patience, the beauty of these hybrids is truly incomparable! And once established, these beauties can quite literally last a lifetime, are nearly indestructible, and require very little care beyond your appreciation.
**These seeds will ship the second and third week of November ONLY. After that they will be removed from our shop.
Name: Amaryllis belladonna ‘Bills Angels’
Seeds per Packet: 10 (minimum)
Seed notes: seed must be planted fresh, and will germinate in the packet if left unopened. Please be prepared to plant them on arrival. Amaryllis belladonna are bulb-producing plants. These seedlings will begin to produce a small bulblet almost immediately, which will get bigger each growing season until they have grown large enough to support flowering stalks.
Planting depth: surface sow/barely cover
Germination soil temp: 40°F–70°F
Days to germination: 12-21 days
Site: full sun to partial shade
Plant spacing: grow in pots at 2-3” spacing for the first year or two, then transplant to final location at 12 in.
Mature Height: 24 in
Years from seed to bloom: 5+
Climate: May be grown outdoors in USDA zones 8-11. Zones 7 and below will require some winter protection, especially during the first few years. We recommend growing them in pots with well draining soil for the first year or two, and keeping them in a frost-free location over winter until the bulbs get a little bigger. Once established, Amaryllis belladonna are hardy in USDA zones 8-11 and can tolerate light frost. In zone 7 and below, they should be grown in pots and brought inside or into a greenhouse or hoop house for the winter months, or planted close to a warm, south facing foundation of a home. Winter is their primary growth period, so they will need to receive water and be protected from prolonged freezing. Regardless of your zone, we recommend sowing them in pots and protecting from frost for their first few seasons. After that they can be transplanted to their final location.
Bill spent his lifetime breeding these magical angel flowers, along with countless incredible Narcissus, Amarcrinum, and more. He was one of the most enthusiastic and generous plant people I have ever been blessed to meet, and it was clear to me that one of his greatest joys was sending his plant babies out into the world. I am so grateful for the knowledge and plants he shared with me, and all those in the Santa Cruz flower community and beyond! This December marks five years since Bill donned his angel wings, and I hope with all my heart that these seeds will be carried far and wide to sprinkle their beauty and joy into loving gardens like stars across the sky.
In honor of Bill, royalties from the proceeds of this seed offering are going directly to his dearest friend and colleague Kaysea Cook, as she works to preserve and care for the hundreds of thousands of bulbs he left behind. I am hoping to give her a boost to help her through what has been a very challenging time.
Kaysea spent over a decade working alongside and learning from Bill, and they had just begun a fresh new bulb business adventure together the year before he passed. Without Kaysea, a large portion of Bill’s Amaryllis collection would have been tilled under this year, as ownership of the property where they were established passed to new hands. In the midst of so much heartbreak, she has been working tirelessly and at times under tight time constraints to label, dig, and move hundreds of thousands of Bill’s narcissus, amaryllis, and more to a new location, where she has secured a 30 year farming lease to care for them. She has done this all while keeping her cut flower and design business afloat, and co-running a small veggie farm! Someday, once things get established at her new farm, she hopes to be able to reopen the bulb business and offer Bill’s bulbs for sale again, and hopefully continue on his breeding work. To learn more and to support Kaysea directly, go to flowersatthesea.com, and keep an eye out in the future for her updates! While she isn’t set up to offer bulb orders for shipping at this time, it is a future dream that we really hope to support, and will help get the word out when the time comes.
