Not usually considered for a greenhouse Muscari are commonly spotted in early spring in an outdoor border for their reliable blue flowers, often mixed with daffodils and primroses. Known as Grape Hyacinths from the shape of each flower on their spikes of tiny blooms, these are both attractive and long lasting with a delightful perfume. Extremely reliable, prolific and compact, moreover leaves of laxer varieties grow remarkably long hanging all round their pot giving attractive foliage during the bleaker months.
Belonging to the Lily family Grape Hyacinths with several dozen similar species are native around the eastern end of the Mediterranean basin. Most are fairly hardy however well worth growing under cover in pots or tubs for winter colour as then flowering so much earlier. Plus, they can be sat up on the bench to be noticeable, and conveniently accessible to enjoy their delicious perfume.
You can start Grape Hyacinths from seed, treated much like onions these can reach flowering size in only a couple of years, indeed these may self seed. However the bulbs are not generally expensive, well cheap, and flower almost straight away. If bought in-the-green in autumn these can be delightful in late winter. And bulbs multiply, eventually becoming choked, so gaining more bulbs much faster than growing more from seed.
Plant ‘dry’ bulbs as soon as received, ideally in summer for winter flowering, in deep pots or tubs with several to each, a couple of inches apart, and importantly plant deep, 4inches/10cm. Their compost wants to be light, kept on the drier side of moist, fibrous and sandy, not too rich.
Water regularly but lightly, seldom feed and never waterlog. Stop watering when leaves die back after flowering, commencing again in late summer. Muscari seldom suffer notable pest or disease damage though need splitting and replanting occasionally.
For collectors there’s over four dozen Muscari species listed, two dozen currently available commercially in over four dozen varieties, many lightly scented. Most are blues, or purple, some pink, a couple of whites, plus there’s a stunning canary yellow flowering species M. Macrocarpum in the choice variety Golden Fragrance. And for the survivalist gardener wanting a hidden pantry, M. racemosum bulbs were eaten in Mediterranean countries, these have naturalised in parts of Eastern England, perhaps escapees from Roman kitchen gardens.