[maloneranger]

I like bulbs, particularly spring bulbs, and over the past few years, I have been buying quite a lot of the “common” ones – daffs, tulips, and bluebells.

I always thought that hyacinths were really only for growing indoors, and thus not my bag.

However, in autumn 2011, I was given a pack of three hyacinth bulbs.
I planted them outside and they flowered nicely in 2012. When they died back, I had decided that they were in the wrong place, so I lifted them, after die-back.
The bulbs looked fine and I kept them in the garage, and planted them somewhere else in autumn 2012. The bulbs duly flowered well in 2013.

Of course, I decided that that they were still in the wrong place, and I lifted them after die-back. Greatly encouraged by my success, I bought more bulbs in autumn 2013, and planted these, with the originals, in another spot. Today they all appear to be shooting well, and one or two are showing flowers budding.

It’s great, I have discovered not only that hyacinths look good outside, but that the smell [fragrance/scent?] of hyacinths outdoors is wonderful.

So - my question ??

Do I need to lift the hyacinths every year, and re-plant them?

Or will they soldier on year after year, like daffs, tulips and bluebells etc?

[Yorkie]

My RHS book on bulbs says they're fully frost hardy so you can leave them in (unless it's a really waterlogged spot, in which case they may rot off if you leave them in the ground).

[maloneranger]

Wow - thanks - that was a quick reply!

I'm sure that they are frost hardy - they were re-planted in the autumn and have survived one winter that was very, very cold.

However, do others ever leave them in the ground?

Will they "naturalise"?

[tosca100]

OH used to buy a pot of hyacinths every year for the scent and we always put them in the garden after flowering. We had quite a large clump and we never lifted them, too much faff.  So the answer is yes, they can be left in the ground all year. My Mum had a good clump too.

[DD.]

We have hyacinth all over the garden at home that have mounted up over the years from the ones grown for the festive season.

They're pretty poor the first year, having been gown in bulb fibre which is lacking in nutrients, but recover over the years.

[mumofstig]

They look, and smell, beautiful in the school garden; they were planted 3 years ago 

[JayG]

I planted 3 clumps of pink, white and blue hyacinth bulbs about 10 years ago in my front garden (don't ask - something to do with one or two bungalows in the neighbourhood which have either huge Union Jacks or St George's Cross's in their gardens!  )

They come up as reliably as clockwork every year - possibly a few more in number than originally planted but I can't tell whether it's the original bulbs or their offspring doing the business now. The blue ones aren't quite as colourful or vigorous as I remember but they still look and smell gorgeous. 

[Lardman]

I've had about ˝ a dozen in a large (16" pot) outside at the mothers for 4 years now which were a free gift with some raspberry canes.   

They come up very early Feb each year and although they are less spectacular flower wise than the first year, they make the entire area smell wonderful on a warm spring day.  I've not fed/watered/weeded them since planting they're not lifted or moved into shelter and I don't wrap the pot up in winter.

[maloneranger]

Thanks very much to all for your very helpful and encouraging replies   

[Lesleyk]

Just a quick addition to the conversation: I live on the wild west coast of Scotland and I grow hyacinths outdoors.  They come up each year - just coming into flower now  as it goes.  Smell gorgeous.  I don't bother lifting them, but I do add to them with the indoor varieties I get given or buy each year so the clumps are growing nicely.

[tosca100]

Another addition, been to a house here in BG today which has a spectacular show of hyacinths and the house was empty for years, so they went through a winter with temperatures down to -30 a couple of years ago!

[maloneranger]

Thanks very much for the further replies.

It's good to hear that hyacinths will do well outdoors, even if neglected, in so many regions.

[spottymint]

OH used to buy a pot of hyacinths every year for the scent and we always put them in the garden after flowering. We had quite a large clump and we never lifted them, too much faff.  So the answer is yes, they can be left in the ground all year. My Mum had a good clump too.

Totally agree with Toscas answer, I too, do this every year and they flower well.

I leave them in situ, as too lazy to dig them up and store them.

[Trillium]

In my even colder winters I never take up my hyacinths. There was a healthy clump of them growing here when I moved in 12 years ago and they're still there. I tried to dig them up to move them to a 'better' area, but they'd buried themselves so deep into the soil that I couldn't find them. They're still there and come up every spring, better than ever which is odd as they're right against a concrete porch base with builder's fill and other rubbish. Goes to show that sometimes nature doesn't want/need to be pampered 

[Jackypam]

I have been planting a couple of bulbs from the festive display out in the front garden each year for about 15 yrs.  they were looking a bit sad so I threw some grow more at them.  This year they have been fab!  Maybe it was the warm winter, but maybe they were just hungry