Six months with Hyacinth — what I actually learned

I brought Hyacinth home six months ago with high hopes and almost no knowledge. The first challenge was understanding adding grit to the planting hole in heavy clay soils — something I hadn't expected to matter so much. Once I got that right, the whole thing settled down.

I grow it in a mixed border with later-emerging perennials to hide dying foliage and the position has been ideal. some of the earliest colour in the garden after winter is what keeps drawing me back to it. earliest crocuses and snowdrops emerging in late winter was the moment that made me glad I persisted through the learning curve. One honest warning: bulb rot from waterlogging in poorly drained soil caught me off guard in month two. Stay on top of it from the start.