Hyacinthus Jan Bos -Prepared for forcing

The  Hyacinthus orientalis 'Jan Bos' is one of the many hybrids derived from the oriental hyacinth that blooms in the garden a week before the others. This ancient variety, obtained in 1910, has brought joy to many generations of gardeners with its beautiful flowering spikes, strongly built, highly fragrant, with a colour ranging from raspberry red to carmine pink, of an unparalleled vividness. At home, this perfectly healthy and large-sized bulb, specially prepared for forcing, will bloom for the end-of-year festivities in a bright and not overheated room.

The Oriental Hyacinth, the natural species that has given birth to countless cultivars highly appreciated by gardeners, is almost no longer cultivated. This botanical species can be found naturalized in France in the Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Alpes-Maritimes and Lot-et-Garonne regions.

The 'Jan Bos' hyacinth, just like it, belongs to the hyacinthaceae or asparagaceae family. It has a large oval bulb and forms a clump of bright green ribbon-like leaves from spring onwards. From March to April, a robust floral stem, 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12in) long, emerges, bearing numerous star-shaped flowers with thick, waxy substance, of intense red-pink colour and a powerful fragrance. The foliage is deciduous after flowering. It is at this moment that the bulb, whose reserves are exhausted, enters dormancy. The forcing technique consists of exposing the bulbs to cold for several weeks, starting from the end of summer, in order to break their dormancy and induce the flowering process.

Among early bloomers, the hyacinth is one of the few bulbs with large flowers and one of the easiest to force for winter flowering. Reserve a special place for it in a very bright room, far from any source of heat. Forcing at home is child's play; for example, use a narrow-necked vase specially designed for forcing hyacinth bulbs. Fill it with water and place the bulb so that its base is level with the water. Make sure the water level always reaches the base of the bulb, but never higher. Don't hesitate to mix different species of plants suitable for this growing method to create original compositions: tulips, daffodils, crocuses, Greek anemones, squills, as well as branches of Japanese quince, forsythias, apple trees, cherry trees, plum trees. The flowers of hyacinths are edible, raw or cooked, and have a slightly mucilaginous texture. Depending on your preferences, you can crystallize them with sugar or add them to fruit salads. In the past, they were considered a delicacy and could be found under the name of "candied Constantinople hyacinths". The 'Jan Bos' hyacinth is particularly enhanced when  combined with white early tulips.