April | 2024 | The Bent Trowel

I don’t know about you, but every spring, when all the bulbs come up that I planted the prior fall, I always take inventory and see where there needs to be improvement. For example, if I see holes where there should be some bulbs coming up, I take pictures on my phone so I know where I need to add some in the fall. I also observe where this is no early spring color– which is where Hyacinths come into the picture. I noticed on my back garage wall, I have alliums on the way, but now flowers at all. However, the fence that bumps up against my neighbor’s yard is a cacophony of color and scent.

I had never realized just how beautiful smelling hyacinths where– especially when you have planted several together! Hyacinths have one of the most beautiful smells in the early spring garden. l took a mental note that I must plant hyacinths behind the garage so there can be a nice balance of color and scent throughout the garden!

About Hyacinths

Early spring flower bulb
Has a wonderful, bold scent that reaches long distances.
Comes in a variety of beautiful colors.
They are good in the garden and a container.
They are deer resistant.

This particular hyacinth to the left has black stems, making this variety to be very bold and stunning!

These low maintenance beauties should be front and center in your spring garden, that’s if you live in a gardening zone that permits bulb planting.

Because they are an early spring bloomer, they love the cooler temps that comes with that part of the season. In fact, the cooler the weather, the longer the bloom time is extended. That’s probably why they have done so well in our neck of the woods this spring… it has been a cool one for sure!

What has been your experience with hyacinths? I strongly urge everyone to add these to their garden as soon as they can!

Shepard’s hooks in the garden go way beyond just hanging plants. I have also found them to be great for small climbers such as the morning glory. I discovered this after watching a random morning glory (we all know they have NO problem growing from seed), start curling and twining its way up my Shepard’s hook that had a beautiful petunia basket on top, it dawned on me that this very simple garden tool is actually way more practical than first thought!

So, if you have any small climbers that need a little more support, and you don’t want to necessarily get a trellis, I would highly recommend getting a low price-point Shepard’s hook. It adds another practical (vertical) element to the garden!

I thought this would be little “introduction” back to garden blogging. It’s been a while, and I have felt the itch to start talking about my garden and plants again!