Hyacinths appear in many vintage embroidery transfer designs. The many individual florets give a stitcher plenty of opportunity to play with colour and stitch, and they look particularly pretty in a nicely patterned, shallow bowl. This is one of my favourite hyacinth tablecloths; it has a bowl of hyacinths in each corner and the embroiderer has used a different colour scheme for each one. (If we'd had something like this when I was little, I can easily imagine insisting on always having my special, best bowl in front of me and my three siblings claiming the same - just for the sake of a good argument.)
My real hyacinths have suddenly appeared of (almost) nowhere. One day there seems to be nothing but a chunky green stem, and the next there's a whole host of purply-pink flowers smelling glorious. I am growing a couple of varieties of prepared hyacinths at the moment; this one is Purple Sensation which is a new one to me.
Hyacinths always seem to be blue, pink or white so I'm very glad I chose these which are a little different. They also match one of the bowls of embroidered hyacinths very nicely. And here, for the record, are the other three bowls:
Shades of blue. (Could be 'Delft Blue' or 'Blue Star')
Butter yellow. (Possibly 'City of Haarlem')
And the version I would have claimed as my special flower which is red and white. Unfortunately, such a hyacinth does not exist in reality - only in a stitcher's imagination.
[The real hyacinth that I would happily still argue about sitting next to is the stunning Woodstock, but I couldn't find any at a reasonable price when buying last autumn.]
I love hyacinths! They smell like Heaven. I think my favorite are the white ones.
Posted by: Keia | January 06, 2011 at 12:58
Thank you for those - I can almost smell them! I have lots of old hyacinth vases of which you have just reminded me. Too late for this year but must try and remember next autumn. Happy new year to you and your family.
Posted by: Harriet | January 06, 2011 at 14:29
The use of the different shades of blue for the blue bowl is lovely!
Posted by: Lacer | January 06, 2011 at 14:50
This post is perfectly timed as I am trying to draw up a list of bulbs/plants/seeds that I want to buy this year. I often see things, think, must get that, to myself and then forget all about it until it is too late. Hence lack of lots of lovely things I usually rely on to cheer me up at this time of year. So Woodstock has just been added to the bulb queue. I do wish someone would invent a scratch and sniff app or whatever for the computer!
Posted by: Charlotte | January 06, 2011 at 16:03
I agree - the smell is really something else! I do love those dear little muscari as well when they poke out of the garden.
Posted by: geraldine | January 06, 2011 at 20:07
I love the hyacinths, real and embroidered! Last Christmas my teenage son bought me some in a bowl. Every time they wilted I went out and bought some more in the same colour and put them in the bowl. I didn't want him to know they had died! x
Posted by: Jayne | January 06, 2011 at 20:40
Beautiful!!!
Posted by: jacky | January 06, 2011 at 21:13
I adore the blue.
I am also anticipating the return of the muscari. Mine have open, fertile flowers that look like little petticoats.
Posted by: Josefina | January 06, 2011 at 21:38
That last embroidered version is my favourite too - though a little fanciful
It was so bitterly cold on the windowsill at work that mine came out in their glasses as sad, stunted little stems, but they smelt just as good and the roots in the water are beautiful too
Posted by: oxslip | January 06, 2011 at 22:22
Mmmmmm Hyacinths, absolutely divine.
My favourite from the beautifully embroidered cloth would be either the red and white or the blue flowers.
I can imagine having the same squabble with my sisters at the table.
What a wonderful cloth that is a real treasure......
Posted by: Claire@yackandandah.com | January 09, 2011 at 06:35
What beautiful embroidered designs, I've not seen Hyacinth designs before, maily crinoline ladies or sprays of flowers, so this cloth was a real find Jane. It looks like the embroiderer was a master of her craft, those leaves! I remember your post on the Hyacinth Woodstock, a real stunner isn't it. I've just been admiring your book on Phoebe's Cakes, how fabulous, what a gift, and wonderful to have them all together in one place. She must have been absolutely bowled over. Vanessa xxx
Posted by: vanessa | January 10, 2011 at 18:36
These are absolutely beautiful. The embroidered ones as well as the real ones.
Posted by: Mystica | January 11, 2011 at 09:31