Hyacinths - The Easy Peasy Way


There was quite a bit of a conversation over at Emma's recently on the difficulty of Christmas hyacinth cultivation. I'd just taken the above photo and was feeling a bit smug, so I left the following Comment:

The solution for hyacinths is:
  1. Your niece (11) and nephew (7) buy you some for Christmas and get them delivered to you a couple of days beforehand
  2. You put them on the coolest windowsill in the house, because the accompanying leaflet tells you to put them somewhere cool and where there's not too much light so they won't flop over - our dining room's ideal as it's north facing and the central heating doesn't seem to work in there
  3. You also give the moss area around the bulbs about 2 teaspoons of water because the leaflet says to give them just a tiny amount
  4. You shut the door and forget about them. In the meantime Christmas and New Year happen
  5. You go past said dining room yesterday (5th January) and are bowled over by the scent of hyacinths COMING THROUGH THE DOOR
  6. Rescue them from the dining room and put them on the kitchen table to admire
  7. Take a picture to blog about them
  8. Have tea at which point NAH says he can taste the hyacinths in his salad because the scent's so strong
  9. Come online for a bit of light blog reading and laugh at everyone's comments here about how difficult hyacinths are
  10. Feel guilty 'cos what you've just said sounds like you're a smarmy smartypants :)
Thanks so much L & E!
xx

Comments

  1. emmat10 January 2009 at 11:01

    So smug
    Well anyway I am about to win battle of the hyacinths - just you wait VP, just you wait

    ReplyDelete
  2. petoskystone10 January 2009 at 13:30

    hehehe--great post! i agree with nah- the scent of hyacinths can be overwhelming! absolutely beautiful. i also have had a problem with blue blooms--they drip an 'ink' as the blooms are dying--stains everything.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gail10 January 2009 at 14:57

    Not my favorite plant, too unreal looking! But I love their purple papery bulbs. Which must make me equivalent to the toddler who is fascinated with the wrappings and ignores the present! gail

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous10 January 2009 at 15:08

    Just like that! xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Victoria Summerley10 January 2009 at 15:51

    I bought mine half-price at Marks and Spencer: what does that make me? Lazy? Spendthrift? Probably tender-hearted (I couldn't bear to think of them flowering unappreciated).

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous10 January 2009 at 23:07

    It is definitely the way they bloom best for me, too. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Aunt Debbi/kurts mom11 January 2009 at 03:01

    Well aren't you a little show off:)
    Great post.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous11 January 2009 at 07:33

    I found your blog as you linked to a post on mine about The Moon and Sixpence!

    I don't do much gardening - too much reading - but I've decided that this year I should spend more time out there. So I'm reading your blog for inspiration.

    On the subject of hyacinths, I love how they look but just cannot stand the smell!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anna11 January 2009 at 09:23

    You've cracked it VP !

    ReplyDelete
  10. Susan Tomlinson11 January 2009 at 12:29

    LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  11. VP11 January 2009 at 19:26

    Emmat - OK I'm waiting...

    Petoskystone - they certainly were overwhelming and still are! So glad I haven't come across the dripping ink problem....

    Gail - yes they are a bit unreal aren't they. I'm unsure whether I like them or not.

    Flighty - thank you very much!

    Victoria - it makes you fit to add to the VPGGB series. I like them in white having read your post.

    Nancy - yes I saw Charlie had done the same for you :)

    Deb - thansk - I enjoyed your moon post too. I was almost like daylight last night when we got back from Poole.

    BookPlease - welcome! So glad you've come on over as I've been enjoying your blog too. That's a very nice compliment re gardening inspiration - I hope I don't let you down in that department!

    Anna - my niece and nephew did really.

    Susan - so glad you enjoyed the post during your tough times. Sending good wishes your way.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Rose12 January 2009 at 00:19

    LOL, VP, sounds like you have mastered the art of growing hyacinths indoors!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous12 January 2009 at 11:35

    Hmm. I didn't know they were supposed to be difficult (she said, slightly smugly!). Mine have been good too - http://blipfoto.com/view.php?id=230935&month=1&year=2009 - though I must admit last year I just had loads of leaves and no flowers at all!

    ReplyDelete
  14. VP16 January 2009 at 12:05

    Rose - honestly, it was nothing ;)

    Lisa - hellooooo! I'm coming on over for a look :)

    ReplyDelete

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