Hyacinths are charming spring flowers

Hyacinths come in a range of overwhelming colours, from pink to white and from yellow to blue. The flower also represents loveliness, gentleness and joy, making it the perfect spring flower. How can anyone not feel cheerful being outdoors and surrounded by such floral splendour! Create your own little bit of heaven by planting hyacinths in your garden. Read on to find out the best way to do it.

Stems topped with blooms in springtime = autumn planting

Just like tulips and daffodils, hyacinths are spring-flowering bulbs. The flowers appear from March to May, after you've planted them in the autumn. Plant the bulbs between September and December, before the first frost. Note: make sure that it isn't too warm either, or the bulbs will flower far too early. If you time it right and plant them in their soil type, you will be rewarded in spring with wonderful fragrances and colours.

Hyacinths can have clusters of up to 50 small flowers on each stem and flower profusely in the first year in particular. After that, the clusters become slightly sparser, which gives the hyacinths a more natural appearance. As well as a rainbow of colours, the flowers are also wonderfully fragrant. Each type smells even better than the last. And it isn't just humans who love the fragrances; butterflies and bees are also mad about them. So, there's no reason not to plant hyacinth bulbs this autumn.

How to plant hyacinths

Hyacinths like the sun, so plant the bulbs in a sunny spot or in partial shade. Like many other bulbs, hyacinths prefer nutritious soil that is well aerated with good drainage. They don't like to sit in standing water, either in a pot or open ground. This may cause the bulbs to rot. The depth of planting depends on the temperature. Hyacinth bulbs are often highly susceptible to freezing temperatures in the first year. So, it's advisable to plant them slightly deeper, at a depth of around 20 cm. Want a container full of hyacinths? Opt for a wide flower pot or planter. It gives the bulbs room to grow. Always check the planting distance on the label first. Follow these steps to plant the flower bulbs successfully:

1. Prepare the soil by digging to loosen it up and mixing in fresh potting soil or fertiliser. This boost the soil's nutritional levels. The bulbs don't like clayey soil, so mix some sand through the soil to improve it.
2. Whether you're planting the bulbs in the lawn or in a pot, good drainage is important. You can prick holes in the lawn, for example. With flower pots, make sure that they have a hole in the bottom that you can cover with pot shards so the soil doesn't block it.
3. Dig a hole and plant the bulb with its pointed end upwards and the roots downwards (if they are visible).
4. Fill the hole with fresh potting soil and add water.

The perfect care for hyacinths

Once the bulb has sprouted, hyacinths like some extra food. Mix the nutrition into their water to produce strong flowers. Apart from that, hyacinths are very easy to look after. Just ensure that the soil is always slightly damp. After flowering is when they need most care. If you prepare them properly for winter, they will be able to flower again in the spring. Give the spent flowers some extra food. You can clip the spent flowers off, but do not remove the leaves These are the source of the bulb's nutrition for new flowers. Once all the flowers are dead, cut the stem back to just above the ground. Over the winter, the bulb will work hard to make sure that it is ready for the following spring.

Inspiration for this autumn

Convinced you should plant hyacinths this autumn? Have a look at this list of some recommendations compiled just for you. These are the hyacinth varieties you won't want to miss out on!