First Hyacinths of the season!
Hyacinths
Anyone else have them blooming now?
One More....
oh, so lovely!
Beautiful Steve!!
Those are nice Steve. Ours have been history for about 3 weeks here. Nothin' but leaves. =)
Steve, Really lovely! I can almost smell them.
Here's one of my first ones, 'Splendid Cornelia' , taken today.
Chris
Thanks marie, vossner, dmj, and chris!
Beautiful blooms, Chris. I look forward to seeing more of yours!
dmj, yours are finished? These are actually on the early side for me. Most of mine bloom first week or two or March after they've been in the ground a year or more. Do you have anything else blooming now?
Hyacinths are history here (nothin' but leaves--lol)--but I have a lot blooming Steve; since you asked. Lots of Narcissus are starting to bloom (they are a little late this year--very dry fall and winter, no cold temp's), many species of Freesia's (5) and Freesia laxa's (4), Tulipa clusiana (which is perennial here) several varieties, Hesperantha coccinea, Ipheions of all types, Oxalis versicolor, Oxalis lobata, Ipheion sellowianum (which really isn't an Ipheion at all) has been a riot of blooms since January, Scilla peruviana is starting to bloom, a Hippeastrum glaucesens has a 5 inch bloom scape on it (all my Hippeastrums are grown outside), and Leucojum Aestivum has been blooming for a month--probably at peak now.
I have a few bulbs....I'm still waiting on others.
=)
Please post a picture of Hippeastrum glaucesens!!
Marie--it will be on my blog first and in PlantFiles after that. =)
dmj, I like Oxalis and love Leucojums - I had some at the old place but didn't buy any this past fall as I already went way over my budget on the other stuff I bought! I will definitely plant some this fall.
Steve I will send you some Leucojums--I need to thin them out for a fence construction/destruction subdivision project going on out back. And I can never find them when they completely go down--I think they must pull themselves down DEEP here. But this year I can get to them easy and should be able to find them at the end of March while there is still foliage dying down. We actually had to walk on some of them today to cut some "smallish" trees growing near the fence line. Dmail me with your address--these are in the driest area of my property and never got supplemental watering so they should do fine for you, despite the fact they are supposed to like it wet.
Seriously, they need a new home and none of my neighbors take much interest in bulbs unless they are really flashy--lol
Debbie
Well thanks Debbie, I'll take you up on that! I don't mind paying for them either. That was very sweet of you to offer.
How's about more hyacinths on this fine day. It hit over 90 degrees here Monday afternoon, only to drop to 25 last night! Will drop into 30's again tonight. Fortunately all of the plants seem OK.
Some white ones....
One more
Great pics Steve! Happen to know the variety name on that white one? I "hear" some of the older whites do the best down here, so I have a "list" made up for next fall--you know how that goes I'm sure. Between you and Chris I should have a good idea what to look for!
No problem and no money Steve, I'm at the Post Office at least twice a week. I just use the "click and ship" machine so can go any hour. Got a daughter in college that's constantly running out of vitamin water, "trendy" coffee, or (heaven forbid!) Matrix Biolage hair conditioner or something they charge outrageous prices for in a College Town. Just dmail me your address--I do not know when I will send them, I want them to be about 3/4's of the way down before I dig. I guess end of March or early April? I'll dmail you. I just want them to go to a 'bulb lover's" home--lol
Now we did not get that hot Monday, maybe 78-80F--but not sure--windy yesterday and 36F last night out where I am (away from the concrete of Houston proper) but not for a very long duration hour wise. That snuck up on me last night, I did not expect those gusty winds to die down, but I've only got a few really tender bulbs. That reminds me I better go check the weather channel right now....
Debbie
Your weather sounds like ours it can never make up if it wants to be hot or cold. I planted some Hyacinths and one started blooming but did not send up a stalk? I am sure that I did not plant it to deep since I was probably in a hurry to "sneak it in" any suggestions?
I don't know what others will say Marie, but mine weren't planted all that deep, maybe 2". I am heavy on the mulch, though. They aren't all that tall to begin with maybe mine were in the 12" to 16" range. Sound about right to you Steve? I must admit, I did not pay close attention with mine.
Marie,
The Geoff Stebbings book, "Spring Bulbs", says that cool temps (below 55 degrees) are required to stimulate the growth of the stems. Also he says they need to be kept in the dark until the shoots are 2in tall to get the flower buds above the neck of the bulb. Based on that, you might try planting in some shade and maybe a bit deeper to keep them cool and dark a bit longer.
Another benefit is that in the Cornell study they suggested that in warm climates planting hyacinths in the shade will help perennialize them.
Chris
This message was edited Feb 28, 2008 11:43 AM
I bought this in 2006 as Hyacinth orientalis 'City of Bradford'---but it is not the same as the darker blue one of the same name in the British National Collection. I asked Alan Shipp about this and he said they were aware of the 2 different colors with the same name in commerce. Meanwhile, what ever its name is, this is a lovely light blue that fades to a mauvey pink as the bulb ages.
Chris
Thanks for the pic of the 'City of Bradford" chris. That's an outstanding colour! hmmm now how will I find it I wonder.
ps Experiencing spring through other rights now. Only my crocus have broken ground so far sigh.
Nice Chris! The old heirlooms sometimes are a "tangle of names" due to people coming along and giving things a different name; it can sometimes be frustrating researching them.
=)
Hi dahlianut,
I got my Hy 'City of Bradford' from John Scheepers bulbs in 2006, but it wasn't offerred in their 2007 catalog. I have another hyacinth that is a similar light lilac only with a dark eye called 'Top Hit'. It should be blooming in a couple of weeks and I will post a photo. Brent and Becky's Bulbs were still carrying 'Top Hit' in 2007.
Chris
Chris and Debbie thanks for the info. I will order more nextyear and plant them in more shade. I will also mark this one and move it when it is finished this season.
Thanks Chris. Looking forward to seeing your "Top Hit". It looks pinkier in Brent & Becky's catalogue than your "City of Bradford". It will be great to compare the colours from the same garden.
Debbie,
We have had terrible wind too, though it seems to have subsided in recent days!!
I plant mine about 6 inches deep usually and add some mulch, maybe an inch to keep the heat off the soil and keep moisture in. I avoid watering in areas where hyacinths are planted during the summer as they seem to like to be kept dry, and that helps performance and perennialization as well. The white ones pictured are Carnegie I think. I also have L'Innocence planted as well.
Most of my hyacinths get about 12" tall, though I have had them as tall as 16" if the bulbs are especially large and if they are in a semi-shady area.
I do have some heirloom hyacinths that have not bloomed yet or are just starting to bloom, like General Kohler and Vuurbaak, Marie, Odysseus, Amethyst, Marconi, and some others. I have Delft Blue, Fondant, Pink Pearl, Gypsy Queen, Lady Derby, and Woodstock as well.
It was pretty windy here today--from the South though, and warm. Good day to work--but now chapped lips. Something that you don't get often down here in humid Houston.
I've got some other bulbs that like it dry in the summer too, and the Hyacinths are with them. At least they will have company while they bake this summer. You know the old expression--Bulbs love company!
I'm a bit heavier on the mulch, so they are about 6" deep in all. Weeds around here grow very well all year around (and the winter ones are the most annoying to me!) so heavy mulch is a constant. That may be why my daff's are so slow this year out front.
L'Innocence for sure I will pick up this year and a couple of other whites. That 'City of Harlem' also has my interest--but may not do well down here for me. But I will try it anyway--it's not like I haven't lost bulbs in the past. It may join the large group of ghosts of bulbs past.
=)
edited to add--mine are actually in full winter sun and about 3/4 of time full summer shade. They are about on the "drip line" of a deciduous red oak but up underneath the eaves of the house (I have a very overhanging south exposure eave) so they will stay summer dry. My winter rainfall Cape bulbs are located nearby and most of them are happy in that location.
This message was edited Feb 29, 2008 8:10 AM
Here are some of my OHG hyacinths, including "Marie", Lady Derby", "Vuurbaak", "L'Innocence", and "City of Haarlem"
Close-up of L'Innocence....
Some pink ones....
Another
OK, one last one today :-) .............
Fabulous Steve! I have got to have that 'City of Harlem'; I thought I wanted it before--now I'm convinced. I see in that first photo you have some of the same "winter" friends lurking in your garden too. I thought they had all come to my yard to live this winter! ;)
Debbie what am I missing??
Marie--I was just joking with Steve that he has the same winter weeds I do. So he knows how aggravating the winter weeds in Texas are to deal with. It doesn't get cold enough in Texas to kill them back in the winter--and we have winter species of weeds and summer species of weeds. And I don't care if you mulch 12" deep here or anywhere in Texas--they are going to pop up. Texas tough they are! =)
Ugh - and I was hoping no one would notice, LOL
Hey Steve--that's neat and tidy compared to the picture I put up there. LOL
I think you'll notice a lot more of your friends are visiting my back garden! Aren't the winter weeds the most aggravating ?!? At least in the summer its only nutgrass and sometimes Bermuda grass.
Debbie,
Yes, the winter weeds are most aggravating!!!! We have St Augustine which, like Bermuda, chokes out most weeds, but unfortunately it is dormant into April so we have a brown lawn. I used to overseed my Bermuda at the old place with winter rye and I had a lush green lawn, but you have to do it every year. Our property here is too large and would cost a fortune and take forever!
I agree about the City of Haarlem - it is much prettier than the pics/descriptions led me to believe and I actually think I will order it again! I was worried it would be too pale yellow and have no vibrancy, but it goes well with the other colors. I have never planted COH before. I have planted Yellow Queen before, which is a more intense yellow, but I neglected to buy some at my new place - and it can be harder to find. We'll see how this one does.
BTW - even though the experts say to plant solid masses of a single color for best effect, I am finding I really like the "rainbow" effect I achieve by mixing hyacinths of various colors; it can be really striking.