Hyacinths are a spring flowering bulb grown for both the flowers and the fragrance as well as they signal that spring had arrived.
Like many spring flowering bulbs are widely grown for cut flowers as well as in the garden bed.
Chances are you have been given a pot of Hyacinths when they are in flower, they do make a great gift. After they have died back, simply plant the bulbs into the garden, you will be rewarded with flowers the following the spring.
Hyacinth bulbs are also popular for growing indoors where they can be grown it pots or containers or in special, ‘Hyacinth Vases’ where they grow without soil, the bulb sits in the neck of the vase and the roots are allowed to reach down into the water below.
With upright, strappy glossy foliage and waxy flowers appearing as spikes on Hyacinth flowers consist of numerous small, tube shaped florets on a bare stem.
Flower color varies from deep blues (pictured right) through to pinks and whites.
Buying and Planting Hyacinth Bulbs
Bulbs are generally available for sale ready to be planted in late summer through to early winter. In the garden they require a well drained soil and a sunny position
Care
In the garden Hyacinths prefer a humus rich well drained soil in a sunny position, they prefer a cool to mild climate to Zone 4 or 3. Plant Bulbs in Fall in large groups for a great display in spring.
How to Plant Hyacinths
- Dig in some well rotted compost and aged manure
- Plant bulbs around 4 – 6 inches deep with the nose pointing up. With planting depth, the colder the zone, the deeper you plant then.
- Backfill and water in well with a liquid seaweed fertilizer
- Flowers can be picked for indoors
- Leave foliage on the plants until it dies back
Mass Planted white flowering Hyacinth
Flower colour ranges from white through to pink and purple. Hyacinth Bulbs are often forced, to make them flower out of season it is these flowers that are often seen in garden centres.
Hyacinths grow equally well in containers, and look best when mass planted in groups of 10 or more, although an individual bulb in an attractive small container can be a wonderful specimen for indoors near a sunny window.
Lifting and Dividing
You do not need to lift Hyacinths every year, however they will benefit from dividing every 3 – 4 years to improve vigor.
Other Info
Looking at Garden Bulbs in more detail
