Tulips are terrific, but for me, there are two flowers that say spring more than any others: lily of the valley and grape hyacinths, both of which grew in various spots around my childhood home.
Hyacinth flowers are nicely fragrant and easy to arrange -- a few handfuls in a tall square vase or a small tin bucket is cheerful and charming. The poet Robert Burns said of this flower, "The hyacinth's for constancy, wi its unchanging blue." Hyacinths, like tulips, were extremely popular in 18th-century Holland and about 2,000 varieties were cultivated there.
According to flower lore, the Greek god of the sun, Apollo, named the flower in honor of a beloved boy who died at the hands of Zephyr, the god of the west wind. The boy apparently was pretty buff because the hyacinth represents sport or play in "flowerspeak" or the language of flowers. So if you want to surprise your favorite athlete why not try a hyacinth bouquet?
The hyacinth, a spring bloom that's bound to delight, is perfect for the sports fans in your life.
In her book, The Flower Shop, author Sally Page offers this secret: "When you trim the bottom of a hyacinth, leave as much of the bulbous stem attached as you can; something within this part of the plant helps the hyacinth stay strong and straight. And, since the fragrance of a hyacinth gets stronger the older it gets, be careful not to throw them away too soon."
I would add to that: be careful when handling the hyacinth -- their stems, though thick & chunky, are more delicate than you may think, a bit like celery. So, if a stem gets bruised or bent, the flower is going to have a hard time standing up in your bouquet. If you are buying them, inspect the stems and, once you purchase, treat them gently. They will not disappoint!
