ju1i3's blog

The bulb forcing season has started. I just got my bulbs delivered from Peter Nyssen and bought a few larger bulbs from Camden Garden Centre as I have a few vases that need the largest bulbs possible. I put a hyacinth bulb in each vase, filled with water to just below the bulb and put them in the cellar in the dark. I will check them in 6 to 8 weeks and see how they're doing.

these vases and the Davidson bulb bowl require the largest hyacinth bulbs

You don't need to use an "official" hyacinth vase; any vase / jar / bottle that holds a hyacinth bulb above water can be used for forcing. I am using this antique pickle jar. I find these can be a bargain on ebay - who's using these anymore for pickles!?

Woodstock hyacinth bulbs in uranium Tye hyacinth vases,

early Spring crocus / species crocus in bloom

Only 1 species / early spring crocus in bloom in the crocus vases, quite disappointed with these this year. I've had more in bloom in the past. The large Dutch crocus have been much better this year, maybe I should stick with those.

amaryllis in bud and bloom, in amaryllis vases (look like giant hyacinth vases) and one in a vase that works as an amaryllis vase

final hyacinths, Delft Blue and Aiolos

Jeffrey, my black cat visitor, on the desk and the final hyacinths on the windowsill

closer view of the hyacinths

two of those hyacinths above have rotted buds and will not be blooming

We're coming to the end of the forced hyacinths but a few are still in bloom and a few more to come but only a few. One of the final hyacinths with two stems, some large Dutch crocus in bloom and a few muscari.

a closer view of that hyacinth and crocus

These were the last group on the mantel.

this new hyacinth has two stems

Not sure those vases on the right will bloom but I'll give them a week or so.

a few days later and some of those hyacinths have bloomed nicely, the blue vase is actually a different one than the one above

the hyacinths in the bulb bowl are looking good - after they were moved in a better bowl - one with a proper lid that doesn't hold the bulbs too far from the water

those final hyacinths in bud, I'll have to see if they actually bloom

more crocus blooms every day in the Wedgwood hedgehog

onto the next phase of hyacinth blooms

an amazing Sky Jacket hyacinth which has now filled out (after initially being quite small and sparse) next to one that hasn't done nearly as well; other hyacinths still in bud

two other smaller Sky Jacket hyacinths, Woodstock hyacinth behind

the last bulb bowl in the cellar

I turned the bulbs over to see their root development - there was none, no wonder there's so little stem growth

This is the lid to the bulb bowl, it sits on top of the bowl rather than in the bowl on a ledge like the others, so I'm wondering if the bulbs being that much further from the water prevented root growth, otherwise why no roots on any of the bulbs? Bulbs do grow unevenly but none in this bowl have rooted so it must be something about the bowl.

I've put those bulbs in a different, more conventional, bulb bowl and after a couple days, there are roots starting, whether they have time to bloom, I'm not sure but at least they have a better chance.

a couple weeks later, the bulbs in the bowl above are growing well (see below), the other hyacinths below are late out of the cellar and not sure they are going to bloom this year

more crocus in bloom everyday in the Wedgwood hedgehog

the next hyacinths with fat buds

more crocus bulbs starting to bloom in the Wedgwood hedgehog

It is the peak time for the forced hyacinths.

the next wave of Deflt Blue hyacinths is replacing those on the mantel

Pink Pearl hyacinths

I forgot to post this photo of the Jan Bos hyacinths from 10 days ago, one of the earliest hyacinth varieties to bloom.

Delft Blue hyacinths in the middle, Pacific Ocean hyacinths on the left

the first crocus in bloom in the Wedgwood hedgehog

Woodstock hyacinths just starting to bloom, obviously a later variety, only 2 in bloom so far

Sadly, some of the problem bulbs.

bent hyacinths that never straightened up, I still don't know why this happens

Some of the other Delft Blue hyacinths that didn't bloom well properly. There's always a proportion of the bulbs that don't perform well.

Although the Sky Jacket hyacinths looked interesting in bud, they have not bloomed well and the bulbs have shrunk and are falling through into the water. And one of them is bent over.

some huge fat gorgeous hyacinths, the bulb bowl hyacinths are so variable, some bloomed some did not so I replanted those in soil

that hyacinth in the middle had a flower that was finished so I cut that stem to allow the small second flowering stem to bloom

I don't know why sometimes the hyacinths are bent over, some straighten up, some do not

as soon as I take out the spreadsheet to note dates of blooming and how the hyacinths are looking, my cat Victor wants to sit on it but I rescued it before he sat down but not before he walked on it with muddy paws

hyacinths in bloom on Christmas Eve

These hyacinths, with the bulge (the buds moving from the bulb up the stem) in the stem, are ready to come out of the dark. The cause of many failed hyacinths is taking them out of the dark too early and then the hyacinths do not bloom properly.

hyacinths are often bent over like this and most will straighten up as they grow

crocus bulbs growing in the Wedgwood hedgehog

hyacinths growing on pebbles in a bowl

Merry Christmas!

more hyacinths in bloom in some of my favourite vases: tall late Georgian or early Victorian hand-blown, the cobalt blue is my favourite colour; I have a lot of fat buds so will definitely have flowers for Christmas day

a couple days later those two very tall hyacinth flowers

a number of the other hyacinth flowers, still developing

the hyacinth on the right is from Sainsbury's which came in a mixed pack of unnamed varieties, looks like Splendid Cornelia