Hyacinths — what is there not to love about these eccentric charmers? Every year, the hyacinth flower makes a comeback in the spring season just in time to add a spark of color to every flower arrangement or garden.
What to Know About the Exquisite Hyacinth Flower
Hyacinth flowers, denominated 'Hyacinthus orientalis', are one of the springtime flowers that emit one of the strongest and most pleasant aromas around. Whether you want a hyacinth for your garden or to create a dazzling flower arrangement, hyacinth flowers will be your blooming ally. The best thing about these blooms is you'll be able to smell these blossoms strongly and see the spikes of vivid tubular flowers rising from the strap-shaped leaves even from a distance.
Hyacinths were first brought to Europe in the 16th century, and thanks to their widespread use, Dutch bulb farmers developed more than 2,000 different cultivars by the 18th century. But that's not all, here comes the real and deep history of the hyacinth flower.
Going Back Into History to Learn More About Hyacinths
According to Greek mythology, a little boy named Hyacinth was slain when a discus hit him in the head during a game, giving rise to the name of the flower. When he lay in the arms of the deity Apollo, who was sobbing in sorrow, a hyacinth sprang from the wound on his head. The petals of wild hyacinths contain letter-like patterns that resemble the Greek letter 'A', which denotes the sound of wailing.
The hyacinth flower also appears to be related to the water's blue hue, making reference to the actual 'Hyacinthus orientalis' species, which had blue flowers. The plant later had buds that ranged in color from white and pale mauve to deep mauve-purple. The ancestor of the modern flower or 'Dutch' hyacinth was a common wildflower in the ancient eastern Mediterranean, from Asia Minor and Syria to Persia and Iraq to Iran.
How to Care for Cut Hyacinths
Hyacinths are cut flowers that are cultivated from bulbs, thus occasionally the stems of your cut hyacinths may be a touch sandy. It's important to wash their stems to remove this before adding them to your vase. Hyacinths can first appear a little drab or colorless since they are in bud, but don't worry, they'll become much more colorful and full as they blossom.
If you do decide to cut your hyacinth flower, it will open a little more quickly, but it may also discharge sap that could contaminate the vase's water. To keep the water clean and fresh, it's a good idea to replace the water more frequently — ideally every day.
As hyacinths bloom, they can become quite top-heavy as they have soft stems. The bloom may eventually bend and break as a result of this, so in order to assist your flowers and make them stay upright while they bloom, you can trim them down and put them in a shorter vase.
Why Hyacinths Are the Perfect Flower for Any Arrangement
Considered one of the favorite springtime flowers, hyacinths with their lovely shape, colors, and texture really can be one of the most spectacular flowers to not make a lovely flower arrangement, but also to have them illuminate your gardens during the spring. Who doesn't love a pop of color in their backyard to celebrate that the cold is gone and a fresher season is coming up?
What can help you when you have hyacinths in your power is organizing them in a vase massed together in their delicate colors to display them at their finest. This will fill your house with the lovely scent of spring and like previously mentioned, will implement a dose of colorful shades even in the darkest spots. Or, for a truly festive gift, send a bunch of hyacinths along with other springtime blooms like tulips. The formula for perfection starts with hyacinth flowers!
Growing Hyacinths in Your Garden
Many gardens would benefit greatly from the addition of a hyacinth plant. Compared to many other spring bulbs, they are incredibly simple to grow, and they may be planted in bunches or groups to increase their visual impact. Hyacinths can be cultivated indoors or outdoors and come in a variety of hues, though the most popular ones are white and purple. They may be cultivated in a variety of climates around the world, but if you plan to plant them in an area that gets particularly cold, you need to give them some shelter from the frost.
Hyacinths grow well in a variety of gardens, and you may utilize them to add flair to your area's design or landscaping. These flowers are a wonderful choice to cultivate in a planter because they are relatively small and compact. A hyacinth flower is an excellent flower to use to fill in little gaps or nooks in your gardens or planters because they do not spread very much, if at all. If you wish to enjoy them inside, you may also grow them in a container outside for a while before bringing them inside or to another location.
Pruning
Once the bulbs have finished blooming, cut off the flower stalks but allow the leaves to remain. This will encourage the plants to store energy in their bulbs for next season.
Propagating Hyacinth
Like most perennial bulbs, hyacinths are best propagated by splitting offset bulbs from the parent plant in the fall. This method can take two or three years before the bulblet grows to a size sufficient to produce large, vibrant flowers. Thus, propagating hyacinths is an activity best practiced by serious enthusiasts.
The Symbolism of the Hyacinth Flower by Color
Each color of the hyacinth has its own symbolic meaning, as is the case with other flowers. It's crucial to remember, too, that the meaning of these hyacinth colors differs significantly from that of many other flowers. There are flowers for every aspect of the emotional spectrum, as you'll see as you go through the meanings associated with the various colors.
Blue hyacinths are symbols of sincerity, loyalty, and fidelity. They let someone know that you’ll be there for them, no matter what. Therefore, they can be good flowers to give for anniversaries.
Purple hyacinths can represent a variety of things, such as sadness and a need for forgiveness. After a death in the family, the fragrant purple blooms might be a way to let people know you're thinking of them. Or they might be a fantastic approach to let someone know you know you made a mistake and are apologetic.
Pink hyacinths, with their delicate, lovely blossoms, represent lighthearted delight. Whether you're shopping for flowers for birthdays, graduations, or other joyous occasions, these are the best color hyacinths to select.
White hyacinths are a terrific option if you want to let someone know you're thinking about them. These flowers represent clean, heartfelt thoughts for other people. These can be an effective method to express your best wishes to someone at a significant life transition or trying time.
Red flowers are frequently used as symbols of ardent, passionate love if you study the symbolism of the rose and tulip. Red hyacinths, however, operate a little differently. These flowers have a connection to love, but it's a fun and carefree kind of love. They convey the idea that you just want to relax and have fun.
Yellow hyacinths are a representation of strong jealousy, as was already noted. They signify that you are envious of something that someone else has. Having said that, they are frequently not a wonderful gift.
Now that you know the 411 on hyacinths and what they symbolize, you can start thinking about what colors you want to include in your next arrangement or garden!
