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Freesia
By Jill Jerve
"I am convinced that heaven has the scent of freesia's."
~ Shane Smith
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Freesia is a popular fresh cut flower and has a wonderful fruity scent. Freesias are delicate and may have single or double flowers. Freesia stands for innocence and they can be used singally or in mixed arrangements and are very popular in wedding bouquets.
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General Information
They are named for Frederick Freese, a 19th century German horticulturally-minded physician and botanist.
Freesia "bulbs" are actually corms, with a conical shape.
Their leaves are iris-like in appearance.
The flower is funnel or goblet shaped with 8 to 12 funnels per stem.
A very pleasing aroma is a quality in old varieties. Some of the new hybrids, however, are not as noticeably fragrant.
The flowers come in many colors, including white, yellow, blue, orange and red.
Freesias are tender bulbs that will not grow out of doors in northern states that have frost.
Freesias grow well in a cool (not cold) greenhouse. Night temperatures below 40 or 45F is probably too cold.
Freesias do not like excessive heat.
Freesias like abundant light, a good soil, and fertilizer.
Freesias are magnificent as cut flowers. A pot of them can be brought indoors for enjoyment or as cut stems.
A single freesia stem displayed in a tall and narrow vase can be striking.
They will last for over a week in a house that is not too hot.
Freesias, as with all greenhouse plants, require good air circulation to insure healthy growth.
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History & Facts
This tender, cormous plant originated in South Africa. A number of different varities are offered by nurseries, and both single and double flowers are available. Leaves are sword shaped and light green and may be up to 1� feet high. Flower stalks are slender and about the same height. As many as 8 funnel-shaped flowers form a loose cluster at the top of each stalk and are sometimes fragrant. Where the flowers begin, the stem makes a sharp bend so that the flowers face upward.
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Choosing the Best Bulb
When choosng a freesia bulb or any other bulbs there are somethings you need to keep in mind:
Color:
A bulb's Color refers to the color of the blossoms. There can be tremendous variation in a flower's color. Not only will each variety have slightly different coloration characteristics, but the the same variety under different growth conditions will produce flowers with markedly different colors. Cooler weather tends to produce deeper colors, while a heat stressed plant will tend to prodce washed out colors. Fertilization, watering frequency, and the natural nutrients in the soil can also affect color.
Height/Habit:
A bulb's Height is a simple measurement of how tall the plant will typically grow.
Bloom Season:
Most Bulbs will either bloom in Spring or in Fall. A certain number such as Dahlias, are repeat bloomers, and will often bloom all summer long.
Bloom Size:
Bloom Size refers to the actual size of each individual flower, either Small, Medium, or Large
Furthermore, a flower is either Single-Stemmed, or In Clusters. Single-Stemmed bulbs produce 1 flower per stem, while clustered bulbs will have 3 or more flowers on a single stem.
Uses:
Bulbs are renowned for their versility in the garden. You can look for bulbs based on whether or not they are good as Cut Flowers, for Forcing, in Mass Planting, for Use in Borders, or whether or not they are Deer Resistant, Perennial, or will Naturalize well.
Sun Exposure:
Unlike Roses and Fruit Trees (which prefer as much sun as possible), many bulbs prefer shade. Sun Exposure is either Full Sun, Partial Sun, Shade.
Hardiness Zone:
Zone refers to a bulb's USDA Hardiness Zone. Most bulbs are fairly widely adapted. However, gardeners in extremely cold or extremely hot areas should probably stick varieties specifically listed for their areas. Fargo and most of North Dakota and Minnesota are in Zones 3 and 4.
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