Hyacinthus x orientalis Delft Blue

The Hyacinthus orientalis or Delft Blue Hyacinth is an extremely fragrant variety, with a unique blue flowering, and also the easiest blue variety to force. This bulb produces dense spikes of flowers with a very bright blue colour reminiscent of the famous Dutch pottery, carried by a curiously blue-violet coloured stem! This early variety also shows beautiful growth and shiny foliage. It has received numerous awards for its multiple qualities. In the garden, this essential variety will flower from February, unaffected by frost.

Although the Oriental Hyacinth is no longer widely cultivated, this species native to the Middle East and Mediterranean regions has given rise to countless highly appreciated cultivars in gardens for their delightful spring flowering, or in floristry for their forcing ability. This naturalized botanical species can be found in France in Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Alpes-Maritimes, and Lot-et-Garonne.

The 'Delft Blue' hyacinth, just like it, belongs to the family of hyacinthaceae, or asparagaceae. This cultivar dating back to 1944 is a plant that has been awarded many times, honored in England by the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society. It has a large oval bulb and forms a clump of bright green ribbon-like leaves, from which emerges, from December or January indoors, a very dark floral stem, almost midnight blue, sturdy, 20 to 30cm (8 to 12in) long, bearing numerous star-shaped flowers, with a thick and waxy substance, bright lavender blue with a slightly lighter border, close together, exhaling a sweet fragrance. The foliage is deciduous after flowering. It is at this point that the bulb, whose reserves are depleted, 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 flowering plants, the hyacinth is one of the few large-flowered bulbs, and one of the easiest to force for winter flowering. Reserve a special place for it, in a very bright room, away from any heat source. 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 just above the water. Make sure that the water level always reaches the base of the bulb, but never higher. Don't hesitate to combine different plant species suitable for this growing method to create original compositions: tulips, daffodils, crocuses, Greek anemones, squills, but also branches of Japanese quince, forsythia, apple trees, cherry trees, plum trees. Their hyacinth flowers 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 a delicacy that could be found under the name of "candied Constantinople hyacinths". The 'Delft Blue' hyacinth will be superb when paired with the 'Fondant' variety (soft pink) or 'Jan Bos' variety (raspberry, red).