Until today I had no idea that you could ‘force’ hyacinths. I know all about forcing rhubarb since I live in close proximity to the ‘Rhubarb Triangle‘ in Yorkshire, but hyacinths?
Yesterday Adam ventured into the cellar and returned with two pots of them, looking anemic and almost plastic like. What a spectacle! They were much paler yesterday than this photo above and looked totally bizarre and alien but a lack of time and battery power meant I couldn’t photograph them in all their weirdness. They’re looking a lot greener now and apparently in just a few days of being in a cool but light spot in the house they should start producing more flower buds.
It was only when I started to think about this oddity that I discovered that forcing hyacinths is actually a real practice. Keeping them in the dark to bring them on early is apparently wide known. Adam said he’d put them in the cellar for this very reason but forgot all about them and was meant to retrieve them when the tips started to show. It would seem that I’ve been in the dark about this as much as the bulbs have.
Image from http://www.hyacinthvases.org.uk/
I found a whole blog dedicated to this practice and looking at their amazing collection of antique vessels I can see why someone would want to create a display of these bulbs as soon as they could. I’ve also found tons of information online about forcing all sorts of bulbs. Here’s Monty with his little yellow trug – apparently the episode that inspired Adam to stash the bulbs in the first place. There’s even loads of people on Pinterest who are keen on collecting the lovely glass vases as well as growing the hyacinths. I’ve quickly become obsessed and even created my own board.
I love interesting plant containers and planted some bulbs in teapots a few months back. I really think these hyacinths look cool in the colourful vases. I’m inspired to create my own collection. My only problem is space! I sometimes feel like plants are taking over my life!
Have you started growing hyacinths in the dark before? Do you have any ideas about interesting ways to display bulbs?
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So Adam doesn’t tell you what he does in the cellar…..? ;) Welcome to your discovery – and thanks for the link to the blog which I am saving to look at later. See my post from Tuesday http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/mass-breakout/ for some of my efforts this year
Haha! I used to have the cellar all neat and organised…….. I don’t think I need to say more! He has his wood workshop down there and it’s actually really quite cool, but I only venture down there when I need to! I LOVE your post from Tuesday! Can’d believe I’ve only just seen it otherwise I would have linked straight to it. I love your vases and pots and teacup! Brilliant :) Thanks so much for adding your link!
Good job we don’t have a cellar, Anna, as the Golfer would have HIS wood workshop in the cellar, in the shed, in the loft, in the kitchen, in the passageway…. :)
Hahaha! The golfer and Adam would probably get along :-)
I first did this when I was at primary school. We grew the bulbs in the special vases so we could see the root development.
It’s a shame that when the national curriculum came along in many schools such activities were pushed aside along with nature tables and nature walks.
When I first started teaching we just went on a walk spontaneously if we felt like it – then along cam health and safety, risk assessment and having adequate adult supervision. Also when there became such a fear of ‘doing the wrong thing’ that hyacinths are often not grow in case a child in school is asthmatic or has hay fever etc.
Hello Sue! Yes it is a miracle we all survived school when we had none of these new health and safety rules in place!! ;) It’s a real shame indeed. I seem to remember growing cress on tissue paper but not hyacinths. Kids seem to naturally just love gardening too and so it is sad to take away such interesting activities. Thanks so much for your comment :)
I don’t remember ever forcing hyacinths but I do enjoy them in the garden. Once I brought some forsythia branches inside to have them bloom earlier.
Ah yes, Cathy from Words and Herbs posted about growing forsythia for Christmas by bringing the branches in (http://wordsandherbs.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/barbarazweig-blossoms/) Sounds like a great idea! Just hope I remember all of this for next autumn!
My mum use to force them when I was growing up. She’d plant them up and put them in the garage and then bring them in and put them under the bed for a bit and then finally bring them into the living room. Unfortunately I’m not keen on the smell. I like them outdoors but indoors I find the scent too overwhelming.
You need special bulbs, ones that have been heated treated to encourage them to flower earlier, known as ‘forcing bulbs’. Love the image of all those hyacinths on the table. That’s going to be one scented room when they all flower. ;)
Hello Wellywoman! I really have been kept in the dark about all of this haven’t I! I’ve grown them outside many a time but never indoors so I’ve never experienced the strange scent. I’ve heard it can be really unpleasant. Adam’s keen to get them outdoors asap but I’m keen on shopping for cute vases!!
These are Rob’s favourite flowers, he adores the scent x
Hello Jill!! I never knew that?! Seems this scent is like marmite – love it / hate it?! Thanks so much for dropping by and for your comment :) x
I forced narcissus one year in a beautiful glazed long squat pot (McCoy pottery?) they were beautiful, but I couldn’t handle the fragrance, some people love it and others find it offensive, unfortunately I was one who didn’t like it. Yours will be divine, I adore hyacinth. Sandi
Hi Sandi! Adam is really the ‘flower man’ in terms of gardening (I’m definitely the veg girl!) and he always has a wonderful display outside the house but somehow I’ve never caught a whiff of them, so I just don’t know if I’ll like the smell or not? I am desperate for them to bloom now so I can find out once and for all! Thanks so much for your comment :)
Looks like you have some lovely blooms to look forward to!
Hey dude! Yes and I’m also looking forward to finding out if I can tolerate their scent!
A most timely reminder that I must check on the progress of my hyacinth bulb in the recesses of the garage so thanks Anna. Hycacinths and other bulbs can also look good in old tea cups, milk jugs, sugar bowls etc which you can pick up from charity shops or at car boot sales. The advice is though to use bulb fibre rather than compost if there are no drainage holes :)
Hello fellow Anna! Thanks for the cool tip, I’d not heard of bulb fibre. I hope you find some interesting hyacinths in your garage :)
Bit off topic in a way, but my Grandmother used to have similar shaped but miniature vases – used for growing acorns! I don’t know what happened to them – she got rid of a lot of stuff before moving from London to be close to my parents in the last years of her life, so they may have gone then. Or my mother may have just chucked them – a great one for throwing things out was my mother! No wonder I’m such a collector and hoarder!!! The blog you mention above, Hyacinth Vases, has an entry about an acorn vase on 4 March 2011. I’d love to get a couple for the GrandTwins to watch an acorn growing.
Hello Maggie! Wow, I’ve never heard of Acorn Vases but they do sound interesting. I’m a bit of a collector/hoarder too! Hope you can track them down or find some similar for your Grand Twins! Thanks so much for your comment :)
This post makes me yearn for Spring! I’ve never forced hyacinths but those lovely, coloured vases make me want to. I like to keep hyacinths in a large room where the fragrance is less likely to overwhelm (as beautiful as it is!).
Hello PJ Girl! I love the little vases too! Yesterday was the first day I’ve really had a good whif of hyacinths and I liked the scent! How much I would like it if it was in my room all day is another matter but I really did think it was pleasant. There were tons of them in flower at the garden centre shop yesterday and that’s when I noticed it! Thanks so much for dropping by :)
Like WellyWoman I tend to find the smell of forced hyacinths in the house a tad overwhelming, but now that we have moved I reckon I could put some in the hall and the fragrance would be diluted enough to be perfect. A good friend of mine uses a favourite china painted bowl, since they don’t need much watering so ou don’t need drainage holes, and collects moss from the garden to hide the bulb compost. It looks beautiful.
Hello Janet! Your friend’s china bowl and moss sounds nice. Funny how some people like the smell, some don’t. Definitely a marmite plant!! Thanks so much for dropping by and for your comment :)
I love the way they look when they are just poking their noses up and as the buds emerge. Once they come into full flower I have to move them outside, because the scent is too intense. Same with paperwhites. I’m always haunting thrift stores for interesting containers. When there get to be too many I start giving them away (planted, of course). Haven’t seen you on Blooming Blogs lately, so I just added you to my Google Reader to keep up with you.
Hello Ricki! Yes, since I got back from my holiday I have found it hard to find time for everything for some reason?? Not sure what has happened?! I haven’t even had chance to finish your book yet, but what I have read is brilliant! I am reading it on the bus as and when I can :) Thanks so much for dropping by :)
Anna, your hyacinths are pretty! I’ve never forced them, it’s quite difficult. I prefer to buy them in buds and then I watch they blooming at home, making spring atmosphere.
Hello Nadezda! I saw a load for sale at the garden centre yesterday, all in bloom already planted and they looked great! I can see why people opt for buying them in buds! Thanks so much for your comment :)
That’s the problem when forcing bulbs, they’re put in a dark place and are often forgotten about. Glad you made the discovery before it was too late, I love hyacinths, such a gorgeous scent.
Hiya Jo! Yes they definitely were forgotten about! A nice surprise though and they seem to be doing really well now :) Thanks so much for stopping by!
This reminds me of my Granny, who always used to force some Hyacinths to be reeady for Christmas. The whole house would be filled with their scent!
Haha! I will let Adam know that he is a bit of a granny ;) I think I am a bit of a granny at times too! Thanks for dropping by Mark :)