Gardening News

Bulbs to Flower on Christmas Day Without the Aid of a Greenhouse

Another good old downpour, but no lifting of the hosepipe ban on the horizon. At least nobody needs to water their lawn. I’d love to see their water usage modelling, who knows.

Although Christmas is still several months away, late September onwards is the time to start potting our Christmas Bulbs. The challenge of growing your own bulbs for Christmas may appear daunting but is relatively straightforward, provided basic principles are followed. The results will never fail to impress family and friends.

“Bloms” Christmas hyacinths have been specially prepared to flower earlier than the forcing of regular hyacinths would allow. They are harvested earlier than other hyacinths and treated in humidity chambers to advance the development of the flower embryo. This process is not completed until early September; bulbs offered before this should be avoided.

Our catalogue and website include detailed instructions, but please feel free to contact us for any help; we are always happy to hear from you. The best advice I can give is not to rush the process; patience is the key.

If you are tempted to grow Christmas Hyacinths, try growing all the potted bulbs you would otherwise be tempted to buy next spring. It is truly an easy job and will provide far superior results and variety than anything you buy ready grown. All the bulbs need is a cold, dark spell to make their roots. A cold frame is ideal, or the foot of a north facing wall with soil heaped over the bowls works equally well.