Hyacinths such as ‘Berries and Cream Mixture‘ can be grown in water to enjoy throughout the depths of winter Copyright: Dutch Gardens
Growing hyacinths in water gives you the chance to enjoy vibrant and beautifully scented spring bulbs in the depths of winter. In fact, with a little bit of planning, you’ll have a windowsill full of colourful bulbs just in time for Christmas. Here’s how to grow hyacinth bulbs in water at home.
Karen works in the Customer Care Department at Thompson and Morgan assisting customers in their orders and gardening queries. After growing up watching her dad and granddad in the garden, she is now keen to improve her own gardening knowledge and expertise. Karen likes to try out new and quirky ideas in the garden, and appreciates any tips or advice!
Exotic hibiscus overtake traditional poinsettia in battle for Christmas number one, but scented hyacinths still can’t be beaten.
The UK’s biggest online plant retailer has announced its top plant predictions for Christmas following early sales analysis of its seasonal gift catalogue. No surprises that old favourites like amaryllis and Christmas cactus are on the list, but with house plants in general seeing a resurgence in popularity with the British buying public, some brand-new exotic additions have made it into the Thompson & Morgan Christmas Top 10 Sellers for 2015.
Hibiscus ‘Festive Flair’
Poinsettia, a time-honoured Christmas favourite and last year’s no.2, has fallen out of the Top 10 for the first time. Taking its place is the exotic-looking Hibiscus ‘Festive Flair’, which brings a tropical touch to festivities without the fussiness of poinsettia. The large festive blooms stand up to the ravages of central heating and cold draughts much better than the coloured foliage of poinsettia, and will keep on going through January and beyond, bringing weeks of colour in the drabbest part of the year.
Thompson & Morgan Gifts Manager Alice Speedie said: “Poinsettia are a great option for Christmas display but they can be a little tricky to keep in perfect condition, particularly the cheap supermarket imports – set close to heat sources or a draughty window, the foliage can quickly crisp or wilt. They also need a bit of specialist care and exact daylight hours to get them to flower again. Hibiscus however are much easier to care for and will bloom through the year in most households.”
The hibiscus still has some work to do in reaching no.1. The top slot has been held by scented hyacinth ‘Pink Pearl’ ever since the mail order specialist, best known for its offering of vibrant garden plants, started its Christmas gift lines back in 1999. Alice adds: “While we’re seeing increased interest in new exotics like hibiscus and Dendrobium orchids for Christmas display, it seems you can’t beat a bit of yuletide tradition. We supply our hyacinths in timeless bespoke containers, and give them the VIP treatment in order to guarantee quick colour and scent soon after delivery.”
Christmas Cactus
While the traditional pink-flowered Christmas cactus remains a strong contender in 2015, it has a new multicoloured rival snapping close at its heels. Christmas Cactus ‘Tricolour’ offers red, pink and white blooms in one pot, seemingly from the same plant. To create the effect, Thompson & Morgan sets three plants into one large pot creating a most striking display.
All items from the Thompson & Morgan Christmas Gift Catalogue are delivered direct to friends and family if preferred, and are all presented in gift wrapping or decorative pots with a personalised gift message, providing stress-free Christmas shopping from the comfort of home with no need to hit the high street. If you are a last minute shopper you can place orders right up until 6pm on 20th December for guaranteed delivery in time for Christmas.
Since the first seed catalogue was published in 1855, Thompson & Morgan has grown to become one of the UK’s largest Mail Order Seed and Plant companies. Through the publication of our catalogues and the operation of our award-winning website, Thompson & Morgan is able to provide home gardeners with the very best quality products money can buy.
Hyacinths are a popular spring bulb grown for their showy, colourful and highly fragrant flowers. Hyacinth bulbs can be planted in borders, containers and window boxes, looking most impressive when planted in groups. They naturally flower in the spring but they can also be forced indoors for a Christmas display. Read on to learn how to grow hyacinths successfully in your home and garden!
Hyacinth ‘Berries and Cream Mixture’
Planting hyacinth bulbs
Hyacinths are best planted in the autumn, and as with most bulbs, need a well-drained, fertile soil in full sun. Make sure the area you are planting has been cleared of weeds, and incorporate some organic matter such as well-rotted manure, recycled green waste or compost into the soil. This will help improve light or very heavy soils and provide some nutrients. Wear gloves when planting as the bulbs can be a skin irritant. Plant hyacinth bulbs at a depth of 10cm (4″), spacing them 8cm (3″) apart. Cover them with soil and lightly firm in – avoid treading them in as this may damage the growing tips. They shouldn’t need watering in if the soil is moist.
Hyacinths in pots
Hyacinths make fantastic pot plants due to their neat and compact habit, and growing them in containers allows you to enjoy the scent up close. Any compost can be used for growing hyacinths in containers – for short term displays use multi-purpose compost and for longer term displays use soil-based compost such as John Innes No.2. Lightly work some slow-release bulb fertiliser into the compost surface in early spring to help feed your bulbs for next year’s flowers. For short term displays bulbs can be planted closer together than usual for a fuller effect, spacing them 5cm (2″) apart. Once planted, ensure the compost remains moist to help them establish.
Growing hyacinth bulbs indoors
Hyacinths can be ‘forced’ for wonderfully fragrant Christmas gifts or simply to brighten up your own home! Look out for prepared hyacinth bulbs in garden centres, which have been heat-treated to initiate earlier flowering.
Start by placing a layer of damp compost into your chosen container – there is no need to add any fertiliser
Set the hyacinth bulbs on the compost, close together but not touching each other or the sides of the container
Fill around the bulbs with more compost, leaving space between the container rim and compost surface to allow for watering. The top of the bulbs should just show at the compost surface
After this, indoor hyacinth bulbs need a cold dark period, preferably around 9°C, in a shed, garage or cellar for up to 10 weeks. Cover the pots with black bin liners to stop light getting through and check them regularly, watering them sparingly if the compost feels dry
Once shoots have appeared a few inches above the compost surface, bring them indoors and place in a bright, cool position, taking care not to place them above a radiator
Water regularly when the compost dries out and they should start flowering within 3 weeks.
The perfect Christmas gift
Hyacinth aftercare
Hyacinths in pots should be watered with care, avoiding over-wetting the compost or allowing it to dry out completely. After flowering, indoor hyacinths can be planted outdoors where they will bloom the following spring.
Hyacinths grown in the ground require very little maintenance. As soon as hyacinth flowers have faded they can be removed, but do make sure you let the leaves die back naturally to feed the bulb for next year. Hyacinths often have large, dense flower spikes in their first year as they are subjected to various treatments in the nursery, but will produce fewer flowers per stem in their second year under normal growing conditions.
Find out more about growing your hyacinth bulbs both indoors and out, as well as how to grow tulips, crocus, and more fabulous bulbs at our dedicated spring flowering bulb hub page.
Rebecca works in the Marketing department as part of the busy web team, focusing on updating the UK news and blog pages and Thompson & Morgan’s international website. Rebecca enjoys gardening and learning about flowers and growing vegetables with her young daughter.
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