I thought I'd start a new topic for this, it's based on my previous topic (aka. "you'll have to be a genius to figure this out") It seems like the flower I'm looking for is a hyacinth I was wanting to learn more about them and I'm not really sure where to start. I guess I was wondering 1) if a can get them this time of year (preferable one that has blossomed or is ready to blossom--I'd rather not grow it from a bulb unless I have to) 2) if I can buy them in winter where would I get one? 3) will they grow indoors if they're kept by a window
1.) You should be able to pick up hyacinths now that are already 'in growth' from any good garden centre. Pick one with a nice tight flower bud so that you can get the full benifit from watching it open. 2.) Yes you can buy them in winter as flowering plants but they tend to have been 'forced' which I think weakens the bulbs for the next year. Once again they can be bought from garden centres. Growing hyacinths from bulbs is very easy and if you buy bulbs in late autumn they should bloom around April/May. 3.) Yes they can be grown indoors but not in direct sunlight or in a draught.
If you don't care to start with the dormant bulbs, and grow them yourself, then I'd recommend buying them already potted and ready to grow. Generally, pots of growing Hyacinth bulbs start to become available in most gardening centers, and even in many grocery stores in late winter. I always find the people most helpful at local nurseries, but the bigger stores with gardening departments should have them too. Or even ask a local florist if they have any potted Hyacinth bulbs. You can enjoy them indoors and plant them out in the garden after they have finished flowering. It is their nature to send up foliage and flowers which last for several weeks. After the flowers fade, the foliage will persist for a few more weeks, then it too will fade until the following spring. To be honest, if I didn't plan to plant them in the garden, I'd probably just toss them out after they finished blooming.
