Hyacinths evoke so many childhood memories. Mom used to force these bulbs every year and their fragrance would permeate in the living room and dining room for weeks. She would plant some in a few shallow ceramic containers and several weeks later we would all enjoy these beautiful flowers for quite a while.

It is a good idea to place the bulbs about 1″ apart on 2-3″ of loose and well drained soil. The flower stocks can get heavy, so sometimes it is a good idea to stake them.

Hyacinths can also be grown without any soil. Forcing vases are designed especially for this purpose. They have a wide base to contain the water and roots, and a narrow neck to hold the bulb, so it does not touch the water.

I grow a lot of hyacinths in the garden. I like to group them using 1 color only. My favorites are the blue and purple ones. Once they are done blooming, it takes a few weeks for the foliage to turn yellow; at that time the foliage can be cut off, as all the nutrients will have returned to the bulb.

I love using the blossoms in flower crows, jewelry or other accessories. They will hold up fine for up to 3 days without a water source – and for several more days when the designs are stored in a hydration chamber. (You can read about it in this blog post: https://francoiseweeks.com/blog/page/4/)

The stems are very short, thick and fleshy. Hyacinths look beautiful by themselves in a shallow vase, or combined with other spring flowers.

Photo: Theresa Bear

Photo: Gwen Severson

Photo of ring: Françoise Weeks

Photo: Joni Shimabukuro

photo: Joni Shimabukuro

Photo: Joni Shimabukuro