Hippeastrum

The Hippeastrum (amaryllis) is such a strikingly beautiful flower and always asks to be photographed.  This is one of last year's bulbs and since flowering last year was fed while the leaves were growing; this year it looks like a newly purchased bulb.  They are a mysterious plant, sometimes the leaves come first, sometime the flowers are first and on some they both come together.  It is probably my ignorance of how they should be grown, but the fact that they seem just do their own thing is part of their appeal.