July Patriotic Garden
Hyacinth;
fragrant spring-time favorite; requires about
12 weeks for rooting; can be forced in special
"hyacinth" vases using only water
Hyacinths have numerous small flowers (florets)
on one fleshy stalk The leaves are smooth,
long and about 3/4" wide
In the mid-18th century, Madame de Pompadour --
mistress of France's King Louis XV -- ordered
the gardens of Versailles filled with Dutch
Hyacinths and had hundreds forced "on glasses"
inside the palace in winter. The predominant
fashion trend-setter of her age, the royal
paramour's passion for these sweetly-scented
Dutch bulb flowers sparked a national rage
among the French elite. The plants were valued
mainly for their scent.
All hyacinths found in the modern garden are
cultivars, or manmade hybrids. Though the original
species can still be found in nature along the
eastern shores of the Mediterranean, it is no
longer in cultivation or trade. The originals
were not very lush.
Hyacinths are excellent container plants.
Many gardeners regard sweetly-scented hyacinths
as an essential element in spring window boxes,
or containers placed near doorways. Mass groupings
in low, basin-shaped containers are especially
effective. Many Dutch gardeners like to force
successive flowerings of hyacinths indoors in
flowerpots. These are planted, pot and all, in
larger outdoor containers. When one wave of flowers
begin to fade, the pots are removed and replaced
with new ones full of fresh flowers.
Hyacinths like well draining soil with a lot
of organic matter in it. If your soil is clay,
make the hole deeper and mix sand or even
gravel with the soil that goes under the
Hyacinth bulbs. Hyacinths waft a sweet scent
in your garden or bouquets
The average size for a hyacinth is 8" to 12"
The light requirement is full to part sun
Bulbs should be planted 5"-6" deep in the
fall for spring blooming Best in zones 3-8
I live in zone 9 and they were wonderful
for a season but I didn't take them up and
chill them and all the things you need to
do to make them bloom again so I never saw
them again.Hyacinth bulbs are poisonous, so
you might want to choose something else if
you have a puppy who likes to dig up and
chew on things or if you plan to store the
bulbs in the refridgerator where small children
might consider tasting them. Poisnioning may
have a variety of effects including vomiting
and diarreah. Call your doctor or veterinarian
immediately in case of poisoning from a hyacinth bulb.
A period of chilling is required for many bulbs
to develop a strong root system before top growth
begins. A cool garage, unheated basement, or shaded
coldframe (35 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit) will suffice,
or even a refrigerator --but beware of ethylene gas.
Bulbs often don't mix with fruits in enclosed spaces
(like fridges) and can cause the baby flowers to abort.
Keep the soil evenly moist during the chilling
period since some bulbs such as tulips will
not open if allowed to dry out after growth begins.
An outdoor trench can be dug for chilling mass
quantities of bulbs in pots, if located in a
well-drained area below the frost line.
You'll also want to mark the pots well so that
you can determine when each has had the
required amount of cold.
Directions on forcing hyacinths can be found:
