"Flowers are the bright remembrances of youth; they waft us back, with their bland odorous breath, the joyous hours that only young life knows, ere we have learnt that this fair earth hides graves."

- Lady Marguerite Blessington, Countess of Blessington

About Hyacinth

    Hyacinths are one of the most amazing and beautiful flowers. These fabulous flowers are among the first to bloom, announcing the coming of spring. Hyacinths in three words are:gentle, fragile, incredibly scented. Their scents last long in our room, filing our life with joy and remembrance of things long gone…
    Let us take a closer look at this wonderful flower. Its name comes from Greek mythology. Hyakinthos was a handsome young man, who was loved by Apollo, the sun god. One day when they were practicing throwing the discus, the jealous god of the West Wind blew the discus back and wounded fatally Hyakinthos. Moreover it is said that from his blood grew a flower which Apollo named after him.
    Thus hyacinths were first cultivated by the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was introduced to Europe, namely Holland in the 17th century. It was to be found only in the collections of the very rich flower collectors. Its scent and bulbs were very expensive. Thus it was available to a very restricted group.   
   
    Hyacinths became quickly popular and during the 18th century several varieties of this wonderful flower were developed. Cultivars began producing plants with large, fragrant flower spikes in shades of blue, red, white, yellow and pink. These were the so-called “H.orientalis. Modern hyacinths can be derived from this process.These varieties developed were the following:
    H. orientalis 'Anna Marie': pale pink
    H. orientalis 'Amethyst': violet
    H. orientalis 'Carnegie': pure white
    H. orientalis 'City of Haarlem': soft yellow
    H. orientalis 'Delft Blue': soft blue
    H. orientalis 'Gypsy Queen': salmon pink
    H. orientalis 'Jan Bos': red-pink
    H. orientalis 'Ostara': violet-blue
    H. orientalis 'Pink Pearl': deep pink
    H. orientalis 'White Pearl': pure whitw http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plantprofile_hyacinth.shtml   

    When growing hyacinths one has to bear in mind several rules. Hyacinths prefer sunny, open position with fertile, well-draining soil. After blooming allow the plants to continue growing, until the leaves wither. These leaves provide energy for the next year’s bulbs. You can also force hyacinths for winter flowers. You need to pot the bulbs early autumn. Furthermore you need to keep them cool and damp for several weeks, ensuring that these would develop a root system. This is very important! When shoot tips appear, move the bulbs into a warmer environment and give them as much light as possible. After forcing, keep them in a cool place to finish their growth. Hyacinths grow from 8 to 12 inches tall.
    They have a wide variety of colors, a wonderful scent. All this makes hyacinths great and very popular house plants. Their varieties range from single to multiflora hyacinths.
    1. Single Hyacinths The full heads on these classic hyacinths look good in the garden or forced in pots. Blue Giant is one of the largest singles, and has sky blue flowers with dark blue veins.
    2. Double Hyacinths Fluffy whorls of colorful flowers are arranged on 10-12 inch stems. Hollyhock is an outstanding variety that features dark pink blooms.
    3. Multiflora Hyacinths Each bulb produces a number of flower stalks with loose arrangements of flowers. They are less formal than singles and doubles. http://www.gardenguides.com/plants/info/flowers/bulbs/hyacinth.asp

   In conclusion hyacinths are fairly easy to grow; and very popular for their beauties and incredible scent. A bunch of hyacinths can awaken memories; make us recall childhood or teenager experiences. They are incredibly loved and lovely flowers in Romania.
    Many persons give or receive a bunch of hyacinths on Mother’s Day. Just as this flower’s scent invades our homes, a mother’s love permeates our soul and accompanies our entire life.