Fortinos, my local grocery store (President’s Choice group), sells the most popular and best-selling bulbs. This year their selection includes:

Novella: delicate pink large blooms

Grand Cru: Velvety dark red large blooms

Aphrodite: double white ruffled flowers brushed with shades of orange-red

Charisma: medium-sized flower with a blood-red center fading into pink and then white. Has a red trim along the edge of bloom.

Minerva: Multiple stemmed amaryllis with red blooms and a white central star

Apple blossom: soft pink 8-inch flowers striped with white

Vera: soft pink with a white streak

Red Lion: bold red favourite

Better House and Garden website has a great amaryllis slideshow.

When I want to get something a little more unusual, I usually skip the grocery stores and big box stores. Instead I go to the boutique garden centres. Last year I picked up ‘Papillo,’ a species amaryllis (Hippeastrum) from Terra Greenhouses. Unusual amaryllis may be a little more expensive, but the thrill of seeing something extraordinary is worth it … especially in the middle of winter.