It's Time to Plant the Freesia

Let's talk about something fun today.  Enough talk about the recessed lights and ceiling renovation in the kitchen.  We will get back to that later in the week.  It's time to plant the Freesia bulbs.

Pots, Barrels, Tubs & Urns

1. Fill your containers with good quality, well-drained soil. Almost any commercially available potting soil will work fine. Make sure there are adequate drainage holes; freesia bulbs must never sit in waterlogged soil or they will rot.
2. Place your containers in full sun.
3. Plant freesia 2" deep and 2" apart for the most brilliant display. Position bulbs with the pointy ends up.
4. After planting, water your containers well to settle the soil around the bulbs. Roots will form in the fall. Winter will bring taller growth and flowers will form in the spring.
5. Enjoy your flowering containers, snipping a few flowers if you like. This won't hurt your plants and provides lovey, fragrant flowers for arranging.
6. After blooming has finished for the season leave the foliage in place; don't cut it off. The leaves will gather sunlight, create food through photosynthesis and strengthen the bulb for the future. Water as needed during active growth periods; about 1" per week.
7. In early fall the leaves will yellow and die back as the plant slips into dormancy. Foliage many be removed at this point. Your freesia will rest for a few months before beginning the next growing cycle in the spring.

Note: In zone 8 and colder, plant freesia in the spring rather than in autumn. These bulbs will not survive outside in regions colder than zone 9.  Since we in are zone 7, I have decided to start these bulbs in a decorative pot inside and then set them outside once the weather warms.

 

Freesia flowers are “zygomorphic” which just means that they grow along one side of the stem. When you look at a flower stalk, you will see that the blooms are facing upward. Freesia stems have the unusual habit of turning at right angles just below the bottom flower. This causes the upper portion of the stem to grow almost parallel with the ground. The flowers bloom along the top side of the stalk, facing upwards. This makes them lovely to look down into in a garden setting and ideal for arrangements.

If you are in zone 7 or above, think about adding these beautiful, frangrant flowers to your outdoor rooms.