a clivia bouquet

A friend called me a while back and asked if I wanted a piece of a plant they had. A clivia plant (pronounced CLI vee yah, first syllable rhyming with "eye"). I didn't and still don't know much about it but I said yes and I've had it for three blooms now -- it blooms once a year. Every year has been a month later, I think it's setting its circadian rhythm! I know of people who do this, why not a plant?

It presents a single bouquet of beautiful, lightly fragrant flowers once a year. The first year was in February, the second in March and this year, April. This plant asks for nothing other than to be watered about every 7-10 days and to live by a glass block north-facing window with low light.

Ahem. Now for the measurements. The bouquet stalk of flowers is 19" tall, over 9" wide, and each flower is 3" across.

I am toying with the idea of asking for some of its flowers for the dye-pot. Maybe just one. And a leaf blade, too, please. And 13 months from now, next May when it blooms, I might ask for a flower to make a flower essence.

It is one amazing plant. My advice is if someone calls you and asks if you want a piece of a plant, say yes.