Organic, did the seller of the bulbs understand that you wanted to "force" these bulbs for flowering at a particular date? Ordninarily bulbs are bought in the fall...and the seller is advised the nature of 'forcing' is wanted. They then sell you the type of bulb that is more in line with how you are bringing them to bloom. In other words, for forcing, they would sell you a bulb that forces well. Normal bulbs require 14 to 15 weeks of cooling. Your pre-chilled then must only be required to 'fill in' the remaining weeks. The refrigerator then is the only place at this time you can hope for continuing the cooling process. Just subtract the number of weeks in the fridge from the rquired 14. If your bulbs were given a pre-cooling of ....say 8 weeks, then you would be required to finish the remaining 6 in the fridge. They need a temperature of between 35�F and 50�F...so the fridge is the ideal place. Be sure though to not put them into a crisper with other fruit. Plus, these are living plants...bulbs. They must be given a medium to grow their roots in and they must be kept damp. When they do acquire roots, then they are brought out to the sunshine which will target the production of bloom. Into each pot, 3 hyacinths can be planted; 6 tulips in the other. Put the bulb with the flat side toward the outer edge of the pot...this will produce the initial leaves pointing out..the first leaves will grow outward then from its neighbors. If you are using clay potting, be sure to soak it overnight before placing soil into it. Fill each pot loosely with potting soil; the tops of the bulbs should be even with the rim. Don't compress them, just open the soil, place the bulb in. Then water. As the soil settles you can then add more soil but leave room for future watering. The pot must drain. Label each pot so that you know who's who and when you planted it. It does appear if you can give it the cooling required, your end of May date might just be possible. Delaying of bloom is brought about by denying sunlight, withdrawing so much water and otherwise put the bulb back in time to come to bloom. I hope the guests appreciate how you have brought so much flowering into the day. If it works, you can then boast how you made it happen. Good luck....but please, if you do make this happen, don't do what other parents have done...named their children some dopey name like May, or Flower, or Tulip....or Hope or Charity........

A search for 'Forcing Hyacinths' turns up as many opinions are there are sites. The best that I saw was the advice on the oldhousegardens.com site. Most agree that the bulbs should not touch the water; the roots will grow down to the water. It's also agreed that using a frost-free refrigerator will require some way to protect the bulbs from drying. 2/16/04 Hyacinthus 'City of Harlem' My way is to prechill the bulbs in a paper bag in a refrigerator drawer (fruit-free) and then put them in a cool utility room in vases of some kind that elevate them above the water. Once they're prechilled, you might be able to keep yours in the garage in vases in your igloo cooler until you see good sprouts and then bring them inside. A little blue mold won't hurt; just wipe it off with a damp cloth when you notice it. Good luck. Nell

Every single hyacinth in my garden started life as a forced winter bloomer in water. They last for years but they never produce such big full flowers as in their first year. This doesn't bother me as I prefer the looser more natural flowers in an outdoor setting. As soon as the flower fades Indoors I dig a hole and plant the bulb with its green leaves. I'm in the process of setting out this year's hyacinths as they fade inside.

ninecrow, when did you start yours? I have some jars with bulbs sitting over the water, and three shallow pots with potting mix that others are growing in. I set them up in mid-October, watered the pots, and put them all in a sealed cardboard box in the garage to keep them in the dark. This is the first time I'm trying to force them this way. The garage temps. fluctuate, but I think stay cold enough to give them enough of a chill period. I wasn't going to check on them until January.