130303 - Hyacinth

Dozens of hyacinths are blooming in the gardens.

They are one of my favorite cut flowers.

1302 - Hyacinths

Dozens of hyacinths have come up this warm, dry winter to give us a steady supply for arrangements throughout the house.

1201 - Hyacinth

Since heavy rains have failed to arrive this winter, I've been surprised by the dozens upon dozens of hyacinths now emerging in the gardens.

One cut flower on the mantel is enough to perfume the front of the house.

110131 - Flower Arrangement

The mud season is ending in San Francisco, as the rains give way to several warm, sunny days in a row.

The giant hyacinths are now charging out of the ground, while bachelor buttons and love-in-the-mist that overwintered in our mild climate come into bloom. The roses that Phil and I routinely ignore have paid us back with fantastic blooms.

Today, I cut and brought indoors these flowers to create an arrangement for Phil's sister, who lives in a state buried in snow for much of the winter.

10 Winter - Hyacinths and Tac

The rains returned this winter, and talk of an extended drought in Northern California has subsided.

The gardens are more spectacular than they were last spring, which was very dry.

Here are several photographs I took of the hyacinths at the end of winter. I wrote in another post that I planted over a hundred in late 2009. All of them came up.

My favorites are the thirty or so that bloomed in the garden we named "stump." Because this bed is in partial shade year round, I have had trouble until now finding something besides weeds that can thrive here.

In the last photograph of this series, you can see Tac coming toward me. She rolled around on the hyacinths until I put down the camera and gave her the attention she was demanding.

09 Winter - Hyacinths

I ordered at bargain prices 40 or so hyacinth bulbs from an online nursery.

I wasn't sure any of them would come up, but Phil assured me that lots of plants are cheap when they are not in bloom, as most customers are only willing to spend money on flowers when they're in bloom.

All of the hyancinths came up. These are photographs of only a few of them.

080309 - Anemones, Hyacinths and Stock

I cut these flowers today from the backyard gardens.

The purple stock and purple, blue, pink and magenta hyacinths surround the anemones, the ruffled, purple-and-white one unique in the gardens and my favorite this year.