The hyacinth is one of the most distinctive of flowers grown in Britain, with its classic purple and pink blooms. There are different varieties of hyacinths you can grow, so you can select the colours and appearance you would like for your garden or, indeed, your home. They are a rewarding flower to grow and many gardeners, amateur or advanced, enjoy the hyacinth throughout the spring months.

You can often buy hyacinths in pots, ready to place in your home with little to no effort on your part. Yet growing hyacinth bulbs can be on of the greatest pleasures of having these flowers, seeing them bloom and come alive after you have looked after them from the moment they are placed in the ground. It’s not at all difficult to grow hyacinth bulbs, and you will enjoy watching them appear.

When to grow hyacinth bulbs? 

Hyacinth bulbs will naturally flower in the spring time, around March or April as it is just beginning to get warmer. However, one of the great things about hyacinths is that they can be made to flower sooner if you keep them indoors in the warm. Many people will grow hyacinths especially for Christmas.

Types of hyacinth bulb

These are the most popular types of bulb you can buy:

• Top size hyacinths. The distinctive dark flowers of these hyacinths really make them stand out. They are large as well, with flowers reaching a size of 18-19cm.
• Garden hyacinth. This is a cultivar of the hyacinthus orientalis, and they have much lighter, dusky pink flowers. They are often planted in borders or in pots.
• Multiflora hyacinth. These hyacinths grow in individual stems that produce delicate bells. Unlike other kinds of hyacinth, they don’t need too much heat.

How to look after your hyacinth bulbs 

You must look after your delicate bulbs from the moment you obtain them, to make sure they remain in good condition and will grow into strong, healthy flowers for you. They are very hardy once flowered, though they may not be quite as strong when grown in containers and could potentially be damaged by frost. You should check all bulbs before planting, getting rid of any that are soft and could spread disease to other plants. Once flowering. look out for slugs and squirrels, or other animals that might dig up your hyacinths. To keep your hyacinths in good condition, remove flowers that start to grow brown. However, you can leave the leaves to die off.

A guide to growing your bulbs

Bulbs are best planted out of doors in the early autumn, though you can plant them sooner if you want to force them to flower earlier indoors. You will need to make sure they are planted around 4 inches deep in the soil.

Your hyacinths are going to grow best if they have soil that is well draining, however the main thing to bear in mind is to give them enough sunlight. They will do well in direct sunlight, so make sure they will get plenty of it throughout the day.