Last year I chose narcissus as my winter bulb subject. This year it’s the beautiful hyacinth, Hyacinthus orientalis. All I really had to do was look out our back window to receive this inspiration.

Every fall, I enjoy the ritual of buying and planting hyacinth bulbs to force into bloom in the middle of January. With hardly any effort, I can have hyacinths blooming in late January indoors! I also ...