It’s never too soon to plan for Ground Hog Day, so stop by the nursery early this fall for Hyacinthus orientalis bulbs and glass forcing jars or bowls. Their blooms will surprise your local ground hog on February 2nd with an early taste of spring if you follow these simple steps:

In September or October, select your hyacinth bulbs from among the varieties we are offering for sale in blue, pink, white, purple, pastel yellow and carmine red. Place the bulbs in paper bags and store at temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees F. (Your refrigerator is fine as long as no apples or other ethylene-producing fruit are stored there.)

Around the end of December (about 4-6 weeks before bloom time), place the bulbs in hyacinth jars, or in shallow bowls of pebbles. Whichever container you use, be sure there is 3-4 inches of space beneath the bulbs for the growing roots, and then fill with water up to but not touching the base of the bulbs, refilling it to that level as the water evaporates. Place the containers in a cool, dark place, a covered cardboard box or closet, for example, where temperatures stay around 50-55 degrees F.

In mid-January (about two weeks before bloom time) remove the containers from their dark napping area and check their growth. Their roots should be well developed by this time, and shoots should be about 3-4 inches high with flower buds showing through the leaf sheaths. Now move the plants into indirect light in a cool (50-60 degree F) room. After another ten days or so the leaves will become fully green, and the bulbs can then be brought out into direct sunlight and room temperature--just in time for their sweetly scented blooms to welcome the furry bellwether of spring.

– Margaret