Muscari aucheri Cool Blues

Muscari aucheri Cool Blues is a recent horticultural variety with delicately pastel spring flowers. Many small flowers in a celestial blue bordered with white are tightly packed in well-filled clusters, emerging from a clump of vibrant green leaves reminiscent of snowdrops. Derived from the species often cultivated in gardens, this vigorous little bulb is perfectly hardy and easily naturalises in the garden. It adapts well to both pots and borders, in well-drained soil, in full sun or partial shade. Like hyacinths, it can easily be forced in cold conditions from autumn to enjoy its flowers indoors, in the heart of winter.

Muscari aucheri Cool Blues is a bulbous plant from the hyacinth family, native to alpine meadows in the mountains of Turkey. Medium-sized for a muscari, this variety reaches up to 25 cm (10in) high and 15 cm (6in) wide. Its vegetative cycle begins in September-October, when its foliage appears (often three leaves are observed). Its fairly wide, ribbon-like leaves are greyish-green on top, maintaining a neat appearance after flowering and persisting throughout winter. A single flower stem emerges in  April-May depending on the climate and weather. The inflorescence is a cluster of flowers 2 to 6 cm (1 to 2in) long and approximately 1.5 cm (1in) wide, emitting a heavy and intoxicating fragrance. The urn-shaped flowers are small, measuring only 5 to 6 mm (0in) in length, tightly packed together to form a narrow and dense cone. Pale green buds open into sky-blue flowers bordered with white. This bulb naturalises slowly but surely in light soil, without ever becoming invasive. The foliage is deciduous in summer.

Plant Muscari 'Cool Blues' in groups of about ten bulbs, for a flower carpet or along a path to achieve a good decorative effect, or randomly naturalise them in a lawn and at the base of bushes. Its pastel flowering will enhance all other spring bulbs, such as daffodils, early hyacinths, ipheions, anemone blanda, and iris reticulata. Other muscari varieties (M. 'Ocean Magic, 'White Magic, M. latifolium, M. armeniacum) can also be planted with it to further expand the range of colours. Muscari pairs well with daffodils and wood anemones, creating delicate compositions. Pink or white tulips are also good companions for their graceful flowers.