I've always been interested in bulbs as I grew up on a bulb farm, just a kilometre away from the world renowned 'Keukenhof''. The Keukenhof is the world's largest bulb garden run by a non profit society operated by the Dutch commercial bulb growers All the new bulb varieties are first shown at the Keukenhof before they are made available to the public. There is a famous part in the Keukenhof that has had many pictures taken of it, and it is called the 'Blue River'. The 'Blue River' is made up of hundreds of Muscari bulbs in full bloom. The lightly fragrant flowers grow on 15-30 cm upright stems with clusters of 15-20 small rounded flowers per stem that resemble a bunch of grapes, which is where the common name 'grape hyacinths' come from. Muscari is in the same family as Hyacinths but belong to the Muscari genus.
Muscari is an easy to grow spring flowering bulb that requires very little maintenance and will return year after year with bright coloured flowers. In cooler temperatures they can bloom for up to a month. It is one of those bulbs that once planted can be forgotten as they are very hardy and are pest and disease resistant and can remain in the ground for many years. They can grow in almost any soil if it is well drained and can grow in full sun to partial shade. They are ideal for low borders, rock gardens, under trees and shrubs, naturalizing and grow beautifully alongside early blooming tulips and daffodils. Bulbs are planted in the fall, generally at a depth of 5-12 cm depending on variety and spaced 5-8 cm apart. For the best display, plant bulbs in groups or drifts. As with most bulbs the foliage has to die back naturally in the spring after the bulb has finished blooming so you will want to plant the bulbs in an area where the yellowing foliage can be hidden such as behind later growing perennials and deciduous trees and shrubs. Muscari self sow quite easily and if you don't want this the seed heads that form after the bulb has finished blooming should be removed. Because they multiply so readily the clumps can be divided every 3-4 years in mid summer after the leaves begin to turn yellow and replanted.
There are different varieties available including the popular 'Armeniacum' 'Blue Spike', 'Paradoxum', and Latifolium all of which are blue and grow 15 cm in height. If you are looking for something taller the 'Neglectum' grows 30 cm tall. Not all Muscari varieties come in blue. Also available is the white 'Botryoides Alba' which grows 15 cm tall and the fragrant, yellow 'Golden Fragrance' that grows 25 cm tall.
Muscari is an easy bulb to force indoors. Forcing bulbs means that they need to go through a cold period before they bloom just like they would if they were planted outdoors. The first step would be to choose a pot that is at least 8 cm deep. The pot should have good drainage so a layer of pebbles in the bottom of the pot would work if there is no drainage holes. Fill the pot full with a good quality potting soil and then place the bulbs with the pointed side up in the soil with enough space between the bulbs so that they are not touching each other. Fill in with additional soil but do not cover the tips of the bulbs. Give them a drink of water draining out any excess water before placing them in a cool, dark (around 5C) place such as a fridge, unheated basement, garage, etc. Check them periodically and moisten the soil if it becomes dry and after 10-14 weeks small shoots will appear. When the shoots are 5-8 cm tall the pot is gradually brought into a slightly warmer and sunnier area and the watering is increased. When the bulbs have adjusted they can be brought to a place in the home where they can be enjoyed as they bloom. After blooming the bulbs should still be watered and allowed to grow. After a while the foliage will yellow, (just like it does outdoors) and in the spring they can be planted outdoors where they will come up again next year to bloom outside. Only force bulbs once, so if you want to do it again use new bulbs. Forcing bulbs is a fun way to add bright spring colour indoors over the winter months.
Muscari is a popular bulb that can give years of enjoyment and is well worth the investment indoors and out.
