Fondant Pink Hyacinth Bulbs

Hyacinthus orientalis Fondant

Fondant hyacinths are as irresistible as the sweets they are named after. Sugar may be the big bogey man in the papers at the moment, but this confection of a flower with its tower of florettes (or 'nails' to use the technical term) in candy pink, make it a sensational plant. The clear, mid-pink never looks too cute but complements many colour schemes. The strappy, green leaves set off the densely packed flowers perfectly. The fragrance is less penetrating than some hyacinths but certainly evokes nectar like ambrosia, food of the gods.

Versatile indoors or out

Hyacinths can be forced inside so that you can enjoy their scent and colour at close proximity. They tend to grow slightly taller inside and will need to be supported with a small cane or by tying some string around the leaves and flower spike as they emerge. They look good in groups of 3, 5 or 7. We would recommend avoiding mixing too many colours together but pink and white together can summon up the softness of marshmallow - try White Pearl - or for a more striking outcome, the deep carmine of Jan Bos. Hyacinths are a fragrant addition to flower arrangements for the table but always add a tiny bit of bleach to the water to ensure that they look at their best for as long as possible.

Hyacinths are great bedding plants and are good in both formal bedding schemes and at the front of mixed herbaceous borders. Plant out the bulbs you forced indoors; they may take a year to settle down, but they will then flower outside for years to come. See the full variety of hyacinth bulbs.

Features of Hyacinthus Orientalis Fondant

• Colour: Pink
• Height: 20-25cm
• Spread: 20 cm
• Scent: fragrant, honeyed
• Flowering Outside: late Spring. Please note these are not treated bulbs (which we do not sell) and so will never flower as early indoors as treated bulbs do.
• Bulb Size: 14-16 cm
• Planting Depth: 12-15 cm
• Planting Months: September to December

Fondant Trivia

Fondant is in fact a cooking term that commends beating air into whatever it is - icing or cake - to achieve a creamy, frothy aerated effect. How brilliant then to have called this hyacinth so because all the above applies. 

Our Potted Bulbs A 1 litre pot contains approximately:

• 10 small bulbs: anemones, crocus, dwarf daffodils, iris reticulata etc or
• 5 large bulbs: hyacinths, daffodils, tulips

Hyacinth bulbs love good drainage and so if you do not have a light soil then plant each bulb at least 10 cm deep on an inch of grit in September to December outside. Hyacinths also like a good baking in the summer and a cold snap in the winter so they do best in full sunshine. In the spring give them a potash feed to help with bulb and flower formation.