Hyacinthus x orientalis City of Bradford

The Jacinthe orientalis City of Bradford is a rather old hybrid variety, with an extremely delicate hue, rather rare in this superb bulbous plant with an enchanting fragrance. There is a touch of poetry in these beautiful spikes where exquisite pale blue buds open into blue-silver florets and then blush lilac and finally pink at their tips. The flowers exhale in mild weather, and when exposed to the sun, a sweet and sugary fragrance that seems to come from nowhere. It can be adopted both in the garden, in fertile and fresh, but well-drained soil, and in pots for winter flowering indoors. It blooms in March outdoors.

While the Oriental Hyacinth is no longer widely cultivated, this species native to the Middle East and Mediterranean regions has given rise to countless highly appreciated cultivars in gardens for their delightful spring flowering or in floristry for their forcing ability. This botanical species can be found naturalized in France in the Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Alpes-Maritimes, and Lot-et-Garonne.

The City of Bradford hyacinth, just like it, belongs to the family of hyacinthaceae, or asparagaceae. This cultivar was registered in 1984. This variety has a large oval bulb and forms a tuft of shiny green ribbon-like leaves from spring, from which a robust floral stem, 20 cm (8in) long, emerges in March, bearing numerous star-shaped flowers in pearl tones, tightly packed together, with thick and iridescent substance. This nectariferous flowering is a good source of food for bees while the flowers are still rare. To prevent the plant from exhausting itself producing fruit, it is strongly advised to prune the faded flower spikes. The foliage is deciduous in summer and reappears at the end of winter.

Among early flowerings, the hyacinth is one of the few bulbs with large flowers. Reserve a prime spot for it in the garden, not far from the entrance of the house or along a pathway to enjoy its fragrance with each passing. It will bring spectacular splashes of colour to your flower beds. Hyacinths can easily be paired with other early bulbs such as Chionodoxas, hybrid crocuses, or early-flowering Tulipa humilis. Their flowers are edible, raw or cooked, and have a slightly mucilaginous texture. Depending on your preferences, you can crystallize them with sugar or incorporate them into fruit salads. In the past, they were considered a delicacy that could be found under the name of "confit of Constantinople hyacinths".