Making hyacinths bloom in winter

Their blooms are colourful and fragrant, their roots long and dangly. Weeks before spring flowers start popping up outside, indoor gardeners have been making hyacinth bulbs flower in water alone during the short and gloomy days of January. The bulbs must be kept in vases in cool and dark conditions, then, at the right moment, brought out into the light and warmth of the house. Julie Berk, an American living in London, blogs on indoor gardening. She grows tulips and crocuses like this too, but here she shares her hyacinth tips.