Dutch multistemmed Hyacinth “Festival Blue”
They say that we remember scent, better than anything. For me, nothing say’s “spring is coming” more than the scent of Hyacinths. I know it roots straight to my past, as a young child, attending the great spring flowershows here in the eastern part of the US, particularly the Worcester County Horticulutral Society Spring Flower Show – one of my earliest memories, being carried on the sholders of my dad, usually, in what felt like a blizzard- and then walking from the parking lot of the great Horticultural Hall, past the nineteenth century windows, to the main entrance, where even through the bitter cold air, the amazing scent of Hyacinths wafted out. 
Today, I try to recreate this moment, although, Dad at 94 (this week) can hardly carry me anymore, he can still enjoy the scent, as he noted while feeding the birds this week. The vents we’re open on Valentines day, and the scent of Hyacinths floated out, over the snow and ice. This is the time of year, o ne enjoys it most. Although, I have this whole “freshly-laundered, air-dried-sheets-hanging-on-the-line-in-April-then-making-the-bed-and-next-to-it-a-vase-of- freshly-picked-Hyacinths-thing that I might talk about later ( clearly, mom implanted her burdon of memories too!).
I prepared an urn, for the plant window, with the Festival Blue Hyacinths. Here it is, outside, for only a moment, so that I could shoot it for the blog. The color is so much nicer under natural light. These bulbs send up two or three flower stems each, and they are less full, so the appearance is more natural. I planted many outdoors, but they won’t be in bloom until April or May.
The amazing rich color or the Hyacinth variety called ‘Woodstock’.
Too cold to be outdoors for too long, it reached 30 degress F. today, so, I shot a pot of ‘Woodstock’ Hyacinths, in the setting sun, so you can see the color, accurately. I can’t wait until my new Nikon d300 arrives this week, hopefully in time for my trip to Japan next week. This camera, a Nikon D100 is getting a little old, and beaten up after traveling around the world a few times, it is pretty beat, as are some of the lenses. So I treated myself to a new Nikkor 105mm too. Now that my design book is almost finished, I can get back to attempting to write and design a gardening book. (in my spare time!).
Arrrgh!!! Fergus!!! 
You are really a wonderful writer….your posts always evoke some kind of emotion in me, and that impresses me. Life sometimes leaves a person cold but I find when I need some warmth, to read your blog. Love it!!
I am a wannabe gardener. After moving into my house, I dug up some impatiens by the entry way and replaced with mums for the fall. I found a bunch of bulbs, and being a “wannabe” as I said in the beginning, I had no idea what they were…maybe weeds? I considered throwing them away, but I decided to throw them out by some trees in back yard with some soil on top. Lo and behold, I now have some pretty hyacinths.
I cut two stems and placed them in a pretty blue bottle with three daffodils (also thrown in the back). They smell so sweet.
🙂