My usual taste runs to quiet and calm and simple and elegant, so my love of hybrid hyacinth bulbs makes no sense. They are big and bold and super fragrant. I think they were one of the first bulbs I got to know as a child and one of the first bulbs I ever forced…and they never disappoint. I have been forcing some every year for probably ten years or more. I also added some to the memory garden last year and added more this year, as well. Here are some of the hyacinths that I’ve grown over the years.

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Here are some hyacinths in the memory garden this year. I like them in the second year and later when the spikes are less full and more graceful.

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For 2020, I have several large pots with forced bulbs this year to bring onto the patio or give as gifts. They are in the cold frame now but the cover is off, as the weather has been pretty warm and I wanted them to get some rain. I guess they aren’t really “forced”–they won’t bloom until after the ones in the garden! But it is so great to be able to move them around the house/garden to bring that fantastic fragrance wherever I can enjoy it.