Muscari neglectum Babys Breath - Grape Hyacinth

Muscari neglectum 'Baby's Breath', also marketed under the name 'Jenny Robinson', is a delightful variety of clustered Muscari with a particularly delicate frosty blue colour. Its flowering can be enjoyed from the end of winter or in spring, depending on the region. Its small, tightly packed clusters of flowers are truly bright and pleasantly fragrant. In rockeries, at the base of deciduous bushes, or in lightly mowed lawns, this vigorous little bulbous plant naturalizes very easily. Admire it up close in a window planter.

Muscari neglectum, sometimes called Dog's Garlic, belongs to the Asparagaceae family, formerly part of the Hyacinthaceae family. It is a botanical species native to central Europe (Caucasus) and western Europe, the Mediterranean region including North Africa and the Near East. In nature, it can be found in fallow land, scrubland, dry or wet meadows, up to an altitude of 1400 to 1700m (4593 to 5577ft). It is a very cold-resistant plant (-20°C (-4°F)) and perfectly adapted to summer drought, thriving in well-drained soil.

Muscari neglectum 'Baby's Breath' has been awarded in England by the R.H.S for its ornamental qualities and performance in the garden. It is a small herbaceous perennial plant with a small ovoid bulb measuring 2 to 3cm (1in) covered in a brown envelope. Its fine and narrow foliage, reminiscent of grasses, emerges in a small upright tuft measuring 15cm (6in) in height during winter, earlier or later depending on the region. Its semi-cylindrical, slightly trailing leaves are light green to acidic green in colour. The flowering starts in the south from the end of February, but in April in average climates. The flower buds are lime green. The very small flowers, covered in bloom, are grouped in small oval and tightly packed clusters at the top of the stems. Each cluster is composed mostly of pendulous sterile flowers at the bottom, topped by a few erect fertile flowers at the top of the spike. This flowering exhales a light, sweet, and musky scent that slightly resembles that of plums. It gives way to the formation of green fruits containing seeds that easily germinate in light soil. The foliage turns yellow and disappears at the beginning of summer, which corresponds to its dormant period.

Plant 'Baby's Breath' Muscari in mass, in groups of about ten bulbs, in a flower carpet or along a path to achieve a good decorative effect. Alternatively, naturalize them randomly in a lawn that will not be mowed too early in the season or too short. It can be associated with many small spring bulbs: early flowering botanical crocuses, snowdrops, botanical narcissus, and early flowering tulips...