Why did I plant these hyacinths in a straight row?
Is it possible to plant these “soldiers of spring” in another way, other than a straight row?
Somewhere it is probably possible, but not where the gardener, trained from years of growing veggies in straight rows, practices SLOP-py planting techniques. (SLOP = Straight Line Obsessive Planting)
Currently, these hyacinths look like the lights of a landing strip, guiding birds safely to the garden gate to the backyard. Tower to the spring robins: “You have clearance for landing once the gate is open”.
I imagine that the garden fairies tell each other, “If you go out the gate and get lost, follow the line up of hyacinths to find your back.”
You can also follow the line of hyacinths to all the reasons why I am looking forward to seeing the design that the Garden Designer is working on for me. I am sure there are no straight rows of plants included in her design.
That’s good, because in spite of the many straight rows of plants in my garden, I don’t want straight rows of plants!
Hyacinths are hard to incorporate into any landscape that isn't strictly formal, so you can be excused on this one.
I agree with MrMcD. Hyacinths are like soldiers standing at attention all stiff and straight. It doesn't harm the eye to have an arrow straight to draw your attention toward something.
That's okay, one of my white doubles fell over into the path like it was drunk. I have a drunken soldier.~~Dee
I love the hyacinths, but haven't figured the knack for incorporating them in the garden, so they are containerized here.
I did the same thing in this narrow strip, It was the only way I could fit them in with the daffodils. They are coming up strong again only to fall over on the walk and have me stepping on them!
Eileen
So glad to have foudn your blog! This year was the first that I ever tried my hand at Hyacinths and I must say, I've been charmed by their blooms and fragrance – with very little care to boot ;o)
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love + luck + bliss,
missysue
Is this a rhetorical question, or did you really want to know how we plant our hyacinths? I've been working on overcoming the 'straight line' method for all bulbs for years. I'm getting close.
Straight lines and balanced companion plantings are the bane of my garden plans! I love looking at unbalanced design done right, but I can't seem to get the hang of it. I want to plant en masse or in lovely floating drifts of color, but I always fall victim to the urge to put "one here, and one here and one here." Got a touch of OCD I guess.
I planted a few hyacinths and they came up but don't do well. I keep saying I should get rid of them and forget the whole thing, but . . .
You are too hard on yourself. They're really not so bad tucked into the edge of the garden the way you have them. Besides they only last for a few weeks and then everything else will take over. Enjoy the colour and the fragrance while you still can. 🙂
I only planted hyacinths last year and I planted them hither and yon…I couldn't plant a straight row if you paid me to~~My mantra is plant in uneven numbers and never in a row! gail
I'm cracking up over your landing strip comment, Carol!
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