Hyacinths are beautiful spring flowers that come in a variety of vibrant colours. The different types of hyacinth you can get are generally very similar except for the colour, so you can pick the one you like the most. You should plant hyacinth bulbs in autumn or late summer if you’re growing them in borders out of doors, but many people choose to grow them indoors as a Christmas flower. If so, the bulbs should be properly prepared and planted earlier.

Hyacinths will need plenty of sunshine to grow strong and healthy. People often choose to grow them in containers, close to where people will be – they have a strong, distinctive and very pleasant smell. They can also tolerate some shade but this could compromise the quality of flowers in future years. Keep soil moist while hyacinths are growing and are in flower, and cut the watering down once they are dying off at the end of the season.