Hyacinths

My education in gardening is never-ending. I am amazed how much there is to it. When I was young, my mother used to have beautiful flower gardens but I realize now that she was lucky … and had a green thumb. I know she didn’t have any of this professional gardening knowledge. I guess, maybe, she learned by trial and error and sharing info between neighbors or she was very intuitive about flowers.

Hyacinths are often associated with spring and rebirth so this is good timing to mention them. I bought two potted plants last month (two different shades of purple) and will plant them when the ground is ready. I had grape hyacinths in Bradford. Every year they would spread farther across the lawn and I want their early-season blooms here.

My research taught me that grape hyacinths and the hyacinths I recently purchased are not the same. The common grape hyacinth (muscari) flowers are blue-ish, tight, urn-shaped and resemble bunches of grapes. The hyacinths I now have are in the Asparagaceae family. The blossoms come in a variety of colors and are bell-shaped resembling little starfishes.

Hyacinths bulbs, light purple or cream in color, are covered with dry, papery, skin-like layers and are usually planted in the fall for spring blooming. The bulbs are poisonous, containing oxalic acid. Handling hyacinth bulbs can cause mild skin irritation. I’ll have to wear protective gloves when transplanting them outside. 

This is the third hyacinth purchase. The first two were purple.

A compact spike of flowers grows six to 12 inches from the bulbs with long, narrow leaves folded lengthwise. I found the highly fragrant blossoms a little too potent inside but outside they will be wonderful. Once the blossoms fade, cut the entire spike off. Do not cut back the leaves; let them die back naturally. The bulbs store energy received from the leaves to prepare them for blooming next spring. 

My plants, which were blooming when I bought them, means there are going into their dormant time. Here is another learning experience: Just like outdoor plants and nature winters, indoor plants also need their dormant time. And to keep indoor plants healthy and vibrant, there are times to allow them to die back (they’re not dead) and go into sleep mode. Some do well in a dark closet, a basement or covered with a paper bag for a few weeks. Then they can be brought out, watered and fertilized and they’re ready for another round of blooming.

I’m still getting my head around that. Logically, it makes sense but to hold onto a plant that looks dead …

My hyacinths, though, will go into the ground with compost, good soil, and a layer of mulch sometime in May. There I will let nature take its course. I’ll leave the leaves intact until they totally die off. Yes, they will not look very good during this period but annuals or other perennials can be planted around them to keep the garden space looking nice.