Firstly the bulb needs to be 'prepared'. But presumably if it's being sold with the vase it is. I do lots every year but I start them in October to flower around Christmas. The water doesn't touch the base plate of the bulb but it does need to be close. Then they go into the shed covered with a box. They need to be kept dark and cold. Temps out there will usually be above freezing in the winter but still cold. Once the shoots are a few inches high I bring them into the house a few at a time to stagger flowering. I don't really know what has gone wrong with yours except maybe starting them too late and too warm. Also you did keep them in the dark didn't you? Here are some taken in November a couple of years ago. Notice that there are a lot of roots before the shoots start growing up.

Never saw in the directions about keeping them in the dark! Also how cool should they be? I tried mine at room temperature as there was never mention of temperature. Will experiment with your directions and hopefully will learn something. Have never had mine even root like yours before.

No doubt! Very cool, Flora!

So once I see green shoots do I still keep them under a box until they are a few inches high?

rosebuddy - room temperature is far too hot. My shed probably averages somewhere in the 40s Fahrenheit during the weeks the bulbs are in there but it will go up and down. Last year I had a vase shatter because obviously the water had frozen. That was extremely cold for us. But the hyacinths carried on regardless and flowered fine in a new vase. You can keep them in the dark until the shoots are between an inch and three inches. They will be creamy white as they have had no light. They will soon go green when you bring them into the light. (It doesn't have to be under a box if you have some other way of keeping them dark.)But the root growth first is really important. After they have flowered I put them into the garden. The soil doesn't freeze here so I just plant them straight out leaves and all. Good luck!

These are this year's remaining hyacinths. Some are already in the house. The box has been left off and some light has got in so they have gone green. But I keep them in the shed until I want to bring the next lot indoors. The temperature out there at the moment is about 37 Fahrenheit (at night). Keeping them cool means you can control when the flowers open.

Beautiful plants. You said that room temperature is too warm, wish the directions told me that. Don't have anywhere to put it that isn't room temperature or way below freezing here, even in the attached garage. Have you ever heard of putting them in the fridge? It's at least above freezing but would that be too cold?

I've never heard of putting them in the fridge but it might work. Fridges are generally around 35 - 38 F so that would be OK for hyacinths, at least at the start when they are forming their roots. I am by no means an expert, I just know what works for me. What is temperature in your garage? If it's below freezing could you put them in a beer cooler or something insulated to stop them freezing? You might try asking about the fridge idea on the Bulbs Forum. There are posters there who garden in hot or cold places rather than temperate like me and they might have experience with this.