The More You Know...

Yes Spring is finally here!

Excitingly I watch each morning fresh bright green peduncles pushing through the ground. Deep within the ground the bulbs have produced well fed and strong greenery, and the time has come for them to push through soil, and drink up the cool falling rain from above. The sun is warming up the grounds and my variety of bulbs are stretching green stems above the moist soil. As the earth gives birth to so many flowers in the next following weeks, the potted bulbs are also in the race to bloom.

I retrieved from my dark and cold garage twenty pots which interestingly I have not watered since January, and yet, each have produced lovely green stems that pushed through the dry soil! I must add that I think bulbs have such an amazing design stored within them! Whether or not you water them, after they have been planted in soil and stored in the dark during the cold winter days and nights, when the clock strikes Spring-time! ....like a bear out of hibernation... it pushes all obstacles out of its way and announces its arrival. I am always amazed by the dormant design that given the expected moment it will not disappoint. Its arrival on time and burst of color and shape, dresses up a garden that King Solomon himself would envy!

I look forward to sharing with you the arrival of these beautiful blooms as I await the blossoming of a variety of tulips such as.....

Apricot Parrot

Renown Unique

Gold Finch

Blue Wows

Anemones

Royal Navy Hyacinths

Please visit Nutmeg Flowers.com in April as I will be planting and documenting a few details about a beautiful collection called .....

Paris in Spring Collection

Until then,

Ready, Set, This Spring Nutmeg Flowers brings fresh new flowers!

The More You Know...

My favorite nursery in the Netherlands sent my Hyacinth Royal Navy bulbs ready for planting in the ground ...yay!

I laid the labeled bags full of bulbs out on a table, to help me figure out my planting lay out. Suddenly within a few seconds of reading the label I began to scratch my neck. One area grew into the next. Within a two-minute span! I was a bit concern because the urge to scratch became more intense as my neck felt as if I had some sort of allergic reaction. I was so perplexed since I had not been consuming food or drinking anything during that span of time. I thought to myself, “why am I feeling as if I'm having some sort of allergic reaction?”

It became so intense I needed my calamine ointments, and I reached for my first aid kit and searched for it almost impatiently because the itch was getting intense. Before that I must add that I attempted cold water on a napkin which I placed an ice cube in to calm the itching then I decided to go for the first aid kit. The calamine calmed the intensity of the itch but my neck was red.

I then decided to look up on the Internet, if Hyacinth bulbs can cause an allergic reaction. After all this was the only thing I was handling at the time, and couldn't think that anything else was making me react this way.

Immediately I was exposed to a page that read in bold red letters the following: Hyacinth bulb itch what to do for hyacinth skin allergy!

I was pretty surprised! I did not know that one can have an allergic reaction with any kind of bulbs since they are in its dormant stage. Unfortunately, hyacinth bulb irritation can be an issue according to this website.

In my continual search I found that if you have experienced some degree of itchiness when handling hyacinth bulbs, though some people may feel nothing at all, others can have a mild reaction and some experience an intense itching reaction to the bulbs such as I did.... well, an itchy reaction to these bulbs is probably not a true hyacinth skin allergy. While it may be possible to be allergic to substance in the bulbs most people who get itchy from handling them are experiencing irritation from a mineral known as calcium oxalate!

Knowledge is power!

The learning continues for it seems that these crystals of calcium oxalate make up for much as 6% of the bulb and they can become airborne causing irritation on any exposed skin. Your hands may get especially itchy when handling them but other areas of skin can also be affected. My biggest interest is how to prevent and treat itchy reaction to the bulbs. The best way to manage it always wear gloves when handling the bulbs! Keep other areas of your skin covered as much as possible to avoid contamination by airborne minerals. Also, avoid working with them indoors and only handle them outdoors when the air is calm. The wind can kick up more of the irritating crystals!

If you get affected by hyacinth irritation the only way to treat it immediately, is to wash the area of the skin with soap and water. The itch won't last forever but washing will bring a quicker relief period and antihistamine may also help relieve the itching sooner. It is also important to note that the hyacinth bulbs are toxic! It's best to keep animals and children away when working with them.

Whoa! This was quite the experience for me I don't know if I will want to handle them again. But since they are a purchased item, of which I am still interested in knowing how to grow them, I will have to plant them this time around. Of course, carefully covering myself as much as possible.

I hope this information will help you to avoid an allergic reaction with any kind of bulbs! Always remembering to cover your hands with your garden gloves. I also hope this know-how will help you decide whether you want to handle planting hyacinth bulbs yourself, or just wait for Spring, when your local stores will have them fully grown allowing you to transfer them from a pot straight into your garden. Honestly that sounds like the safest to me.

Ready, set… see you in Spring!