Hyacinths from Bulb to Bloom

We use a beautiful and fragrant purple hyacinth in the park each spring. When these intricate flowers spring from the ground, they really don't look like much. The flowers appear from their bulbs a bit haggard and winter weary.

And then like magic, the gnarled buds bloom into lilylike flowers, with distinctive petals. Over just a few short days, the hyacinth stalks balloon with even more flowers until some can't even support their own weight. The visual effect is nonetheless stunning.

Photos by Sarah Xu