Fun facts about Hyacinths — Liaisons De Fleurs

To this day this is still one of my favorite spring bloom. Hyacinths are blooming spring bulbs which produce highly fragrant, bell-shaped flowers with reflexed petals. The waxy, densely-packed florets come in shades of white, peach, orange, salmon, yellow, pink, red, purple, lavender and blue.

Fun Facts About Hyacinths:

1- The origin of Hyacinths is so described in an Ancient Greek legend:

Two gods, Apollo and Zephyr, adored a handsome young Greek called Hyakinthos. Apollo was teaching Hyakinthos the art of throwing a discus and Zephyr, the god of the western wind, was overwhelmed with jealousy and he blew the discus back. It struck Hyakinthos on the head and killed him. From his blood grew a flower, which the sun god Apollo named after him.

2- The Hyacinths are native of Turkey and the Middle East, Mediterranean Europe.

3- Hyacinths were grown in Europe as far back as Greek and Roman times. Both Homer and Virgil noted its sweet fragrance.

After this, the Hyacinth faded from history and did not reappear until the 16th century when it was reintroduced into Western Europe from Turkey when Leonhardt Rauwolf (a German doctor,) collected some Hyacinths when he visited Turkey in 1573.

4- Hyacinths have been cultivated commercially since the second half of the 16th century. reaching peak of popularity 18th and early 19th century Europe.

5- The bulbs are now grown commercially in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

6- Hyacinths are also grown as cut flowers.

7 - Very few garden Hyacinths are cultivated for the perfumery trade. In fact most Hyacinth perfumes sold are synthetic.

8- The blooming time for Hyacinths is March to April.

9- In the Victorian language of flowers, the Hyacinth flower symbolizes sport or play. The blue Hyacinth signifies sincerity.

Planting guide for hyacinths:

Plant hyacinth bulbs in fall, 6 to 8 weeks before a hard frost is expected and when soils are below 60 degrees F. This is usually during September and October in the North, and October and November in the South.

Prepare the garden bed by using a garden fork or tiller to loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches, then mix in a 2 to 4-inch layer of compost.

Dig a hole 6 to 8 inches deep and place the bulb in the hole, pointy side up and cover with soil and press firmly.

Bulbs need to be planted 4 to 6 inches apart and need a good watering after being planted.

After they bloom in spring, allow the plants to grow until the leaves die off. They need time after blooming to store energy in the bulbs for next year. To remove the dead plant, either snip them off at the base, or twist the leaves while pulling lightly.

As cut flower hyacinths are some of spring most popular blooms, they make an amazing addition to any vase arrangements and are very popular in bridal bouquets especially in the lavender and blush tones.

We use hyacinths on their own as a standalone bloom to maximize the potency of their fragrance well as mixed in seasonal arrangements.

They are pretty long lasting as cut flowers however when all their florets open hyacinths can become a bit top heavy so you might need to add a bamboo skewer to the stems to prevent drooping and breakage.