Release your housebound hyacinths
THE florists’ hyacinth is an artificial creation – but how lovable! The stiffness of the plant, the way its stays creak and squeak when leaves and stems rub together, the carefully crimped curl of its petals, and above all its powerful and exotic scent – all these qualities are most endearing.
Most of us think of hyacinths in the context of our homes; their use in bowls from Christmas onwards to gladden the dark days. But what I find particularly cheering about them is that when the
