There are basically four types of hyacinths for sale – single garden hyacinths, double garden hyacinths, multifloras and prepared hyacinths. As I’m looking to grow my hyacinths indoors for Christmas, I’m looking for prepared bulbs. This means the bulbs should flower much more quickly. Remember – once you’ve bought your bulbs you should aim to get them planted within a week otherwise they will start to sprout.

Growing Hyacinths In Water Vases ...

Water Vases are specially shaped glass containers that enable you to place a bulb in the top and water below – without the two touching.

However, you don’t have to buy special glass vases if you don’t want to. As long as the hyacinth bulb doesn’t rest in the water, you can use other containers to retain the bulb whilst still letting you watch the roots grow.
I’m filling a glass vase with some coloured glass pebbles (which I’m always buying to cover the compost in my containers) into which I’m adding tap water up to about 5mm from the top of the pebbles, then placing the bulbs on top.

Best Kept In The Dark ...

Once you’ve ‘planted’ your hyacinth bulbs you need to put them away in a cool, dark place within your home or garage.
Check on them occasionally to make sure that the water doesn’t evaporate and after about 8-10 weeks the bulbs should have shoots about 4-5cm in height. You can then take the bulbs out of their solitary confinement and put them where you can watch them grow.
Ideally you should place the bulbs where they won’t be in direct sunlight, are away from draughts and apart from any artificial sources of heat (such as above a radiator).

It’s All In The Shade ...

With virtually every flower you can think of there will be a meaning – based on the flower itself or the flower and its colour, and hyacinths are no exception. Here is what I’ve found out ...

The blue hyacinth symbolizes consistency / sincerity
A purple hyacinth stands as a symbol of sorrow, a request for forgiveness. If you receive a purple hyacinth from a friend with whom you’re fallen out then the flower is being used to say “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
Playfulness is pink in the language of hyacinths
The white hyacinths represent loveliness and ‘I’ll pray for you’
Red hyacinths symbolize love and happiness
Whist the yellow hyacinth indicates jealousy.

So just think before you start handing out bunches of hyacinths to everyone ...

A Bit Of A Legend ... Or Is It A Greek Tragedy???

Are you sitting comfortably ... then I’ll begin ...
Once upon a time there was a beautiful young boy called Hyacinthus. He was the favourite companion of the Greek God Apollo, as well as being much loved for his beauty by Zephyr, the God of the West Wind.
One day Apollo and Hyacinthus were playing a game to see who could through a discus the furthest. Zepher saw this play and was jealous, so when Apollo took up the discus and threw it, Zephyr blew the discus over and it hit Hyacinthus in the head.
Apollo was horrified and tried to stop the blood that came from his friend’s wound. But it was too late and Hyacinthus died. The blood that spilled from his wound onto the ground turned into a flower – and Apollo named this flower after him - the Hyacinth.