The Narcissus and Amaryllis are often sold in home improvement stores as un-bloomed bulbs. It seems like every one of these stores has dozens of left-over amaryllis bulbs after the holidays. You can usually purchase them at a great price. Providing they're still in good condition they are definitely worth buying for some cheery winter blooms. With a little but of luck you can even have them flowering just in time for Valentine's Day.
Planting Amaryllis bulbs is super easy. Usually when you purchase them they come with everything you need to get them planted and blooming. I had some bulbs that I save from last year so I'm going to use those. If you happened to purchase the bulbs by themselves here are the basic instructions to get them up and ready to start growing.
First you're going to need a pot or container of some sort. It's important to chose the container according to the size and quantity of the bulbs being planted in it. Amaryllis bulbs like to be crowded. If you're just planting a single bulb the pot should be just slightly larger than the bulb itself. It's also a good idea to choose a heavy pot. The Amaryllis gets a little top heavy when in bloom.
After you have your bulbs planted you want to put them in an ideal spot to encourage quick blooming. Place them in a spot that is going to get the most hours of sun exposure possible. They do best in a warm spot between 70-80F. Every so often give the container a turn. This will prevent the long stem from leaning towards the light and keep it vertical. If the soil you are using does not have fertilizer in it already, you should apply an indoor plant fertilizer.
In about 2 weeks you should see the bulb starting to sprout up. After about 6-8 weeks you will begin to get great big flowers atop your long stalks. At this point you can move your Amaryllis containers wherever you want. You're definitely going to want to show them off.