Hyacinthus x orientalis Jan Bos

The Hyacinthus orientalis 'Jan Bos' is one of the many hybrids resulting from the oriental hyacinth that blooms in the garden a week before the others. This old variety, obtained in 1910, has brought joy to many generations of gardeners with its beautiful flowering spikes, strongly built, highly fragrant, with colours ranging from raspberry red to carmine pink of unmatched vibrancy. Particularly easy to force for winter flowering at home, this hyacinth is a bulbous plant that also grows very easily in the garden, in fertile and moist, but well-drained soil.

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

The 'Jan Bos' hyacinth, just like it, belongs to the hyacinth family, or asparagus family. It has a large oval bulb and forms a clump of bright green ribbon-like leaves from spring onwards, from which a robust flowering stem, 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12in) long, emerges in March-April, bearing numerous star-shaped flowers, with a thick and waxy substance, of intense red-pink colour, and with a powerful scent. The foliage is deciduous in summer; it reappears at the end of winter.

Among early flowering plants, the hyacinth is one of the few bulbs with large flowers. Reserve a prominent place for it in the garden, not far from the entrance to the house to enjoy its fragrance with every passing. It will bring spectacular spots of colour to your flower beds. Hyacinths can easily be combined with other early bulbs such as Chionodoxas or early Tulips. Their flowers are edible, raw or cooked, and reveal a slightly mucilaginous texture. They can be candied with sugar or added to fruit salads. The 'Jan Bos' hyacinth is particularly enhanced when associated with white tulips.