What is a Hyacinth?

  The hyacinth is a favorite spring flower of the lily family. It originated in Africa and Asia, and was brought to Europe in the early 1500's. It has been a popular plant in Europe for centuries and is still a garden favorite everywhere. The bell-shaped flowers of blue, pink, white, yellow, or purple, bloom in March and April on stalks which grow from 6 to 18 inches high.
  Hyacinths grow from bulbs in open beds, hothouses, and in the home. When raised in the open, they need rich, well-drained soil. The bulbs are planted between September and November.
  Early in the spring, the flowers appear. Gardeners usually tie the stems to slender stakes to protect them. In summer, after the leaves wither, gardeners dig the bulbs and store them in dry soil or sand. Florists pot the bulbs early in Septem¬ber to force the plants to blossom by Christmas.
  The soil and climate of The Netherlands provide an especially favorable place for growing flowers from bulbs. The Dutch plant hundreds of acres of hyacinths every year near Haarlem. They ship the bulbs to many parts of the world