By Tamara Galbraith

Ok, that title is deceiving. It's not time to kill your amaryllis, but to force it into taking a nap.

I received two beautiful amaryllis bulbs as gifts last Christmas. Once they were done blooming, I allowed the bulbs to dry out and rest for a few weeks, then planted them in a semi-shady spot in my garden. They quickly put out several huge strap-like leaves that lasted all summer (although no blooms, probably because I had them in shade).

But whether you've had your amaryllis inside or out, mid-October is the time to start the whole process over again if you're wanting these spectacular flowers to bloom for the holidays.

First, carefully remove the bulbs from either the garden or pot, wash the soil from the roots and place the bulbs in a cool, dry place on some newspaper. The leaves will eventually shrivel up and die.

Around the first week of December, remove the dead leaves and any brown, dead-looking roots. Pot the bulbs up in fresh potting mix in a clean pot that's one to two inches larger in diameter than the base of the bulb (remember to keep the top third of the bulb exposed), and give it a good drink of water.

Place the newly-potted amaryllis in a warm, sunny window...then sit back and witness the magic.

By Tamara Galbraith

Calendula, widely recognized as the Flower of the Month for October, comes from the Latin word calendae, meaning "throughout the months." Gardeners who plant this long-blooming herbaceous annual will find it certainly lives up to its name.

Although members of the marigold family, calendulas' needs are quite different. They actually prefer cooler temperatures and evenly moist soil, and at 1-2 ft. tall, calendulas can get quite a bit bigger than your average marigold, too. If you're putting in transplants, use a slow-release fertilizer at planting time. Calendulas also do great in containers.

As your calendulas grow and flower, prune back spent blossoms to prolong blooming; some will continue to bloom into late fall, a nice treat since calendula's predominantly orange and yellow flowers fit in with autumn's color scheme. In hot climates, calendula will continue to grow throughout the winter.

Calendulas can continue to perform even after they're cut. Add the dried flowers to vinegar and use as a fish marinade or salad dressing. (In fact, the leaves themselves can be harvested for salads.) Tea made from calendulas flowers is said to make a soothing eye wash, a mild treatment for skin irritations or a remedy for upset stomachs.

Give this hard-working beauty a try, and you'll be enjoying calendula -- as its name says -- "throughout the months"!