Hyacinthoides non-scripta are bulbous perennials with linear to strap-shaped leaves and bell-shaped flowers in spring.
Our familiar native fragrant bluebell or wild hyacinth has had several name changes, at various times masquerading as a scilla, hyacinthus or endymion. This instability has done nothing to reduce its status in everyone's affections, for it is the archetypal bulb for planting and gathering en masse - when bluebells are in flower, spring has truly arrived.

There are also charming pink and white varieties, but the blue ones capture the imagination most, especially when planted in drifts under shrubs and trees, and in patches of grass.

Please note – these seeds have been collected from my own garden, not from the wild.

Sowing:
Sow March to September or October to February.

Sowing MARCH-SEPTEMBER.
Seeds need to go through the process of stratification to enable them to germinate, this process can be left to nature, or hastened by following "copying nature": Sow in John Innes seed compost, or something similar, place each container in a polythene bag and put into the refrigerator (not the freezer compartment) for 2-3 weeks.
After this time place the containers outside in a cold frame or plunge them up to the rims in a shady part of the garden border and cover with glass or clear plastic.
Some of the seeds may germinate during the spring and summer and these should be transplanted when large enough to handle. The remainder of the seeds may lay dormant until next spring.
Germination is irregular, from 30 to 365 days

Sowing OCTOBER-FEBRUARY.
Sow the seeds in John Innes seed compost, covering them with a thin layer of compost. After watering place the seed container outside against a North wall or in a cold frame, making sure they are protected against mice, and leave them there until the spring.
The compost should be kept moist but not wet at all times, and if the seed containers are out in the open then some shelter has to be given against excessive rain.
In the spring bring the seed containers into the greenhouse or indoors on to a well lit but not sunny windowsill and keep the compost moist. This should trigger off germination.

If the seeds do not germinate in the spring keep them in cool moist conditions throughout the summer.
As each seed germinates we would recommend that you transplant it almost immediately into its own pot

Cultivation:
Prick out each seedling as it becomes large enough to handle, transplant into 7.5cm (3in) pots or trays.
Leave in their pots for the first year. Give them regular liquid feeds to make sure that they get sufficient nutrient.
In autumn gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10-15 days before planting out.
Bulbs like to be quite deep in the soil - Plant 8cm deep in autumn, in moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil that does not dry out.
Cut down flowers as they are over to encourage basal growth.

Propagation:
Divide bulbs in summer after the leaves die down. Larger bulbs can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up smaller bulbs and grow them on for a year in a cold frame before planting them out when dormant in late summer

Aftercare:
Over time, clumps of bulbs increase and get congested, causing poor flowering. Every two to three years divide clumps of bulbs once flowering has finished. Remove offsets and leave three to four inches between bulbs, planting four inches deep.

Plant Uses:
Cottage/Informal Garden, Flowers Borders and Beds, Ground Cover, Under-planting shrubs and trees, Wildflower Gardens or Wildlife Gardens.