Creating colourful compositions in the landscape design is impossible without bulbous flowers. Their bright colour and species diversity make it possible to create picturesque flower views from your window. Freesia, an exotic plant with graceful flowers, occupies a special place among bulbous crops. This flower is used to decorate flower beds and borders, rock gardens and lawns. It looks harmoniously both on the window sills and garden beds. How to cultivate this plant right? Let’s find out.
The Purpose of Growing Freesia
Delicate freesia bulbs cannot only create beautiful blossoms in the garden — these flowers are also used for cutting, making elegant bouquets, festive garlands and boutonnieres. Such a bouquet stays fresh for a very long time after cutting — an elegant bouquet can stand in water for about three weeks.
For its nice and light aroma, this plant is often called “Cape Lily of the Lawn”. During flowering, fragrant bouquets of inflorescences fill the air with fresh notes of sea breeze, citrus and wood.
In the landscape, freesia fits small shrubs, conifers and various cereals. It looks good when paired with spicy herbs like rosemary, thyme and lavender. Also, this flower is often planted in pots and flowerpots to decorate summer terraces and verandas.
Four Tips for Growing Freesia
To cultivate such an elegant and delicate plant as freesia, you must follow the basic rules for growing crops outdoors:
- Select the right place — the area for freesia has to be open and sunny, but without excess sunlight, and secured from drafts and strong winds;
- The soil should be nutritious. Freesia grows in well-composted areas. If the soil at is acidic, it is required to fertilize it with dolomite flour;
- Choose the correct planting dates — putting freesia bulbs in the ground should be done in spring when the threat of night frosts has passed. By the beginning of May, the soil should already have warmed up to 15 °C.
- Planting depth depends on the type of soil. If it is loose, the bulbs are put to a depth of 12 cm, medium — 10 cm, and for tight — it should not exceed 7 cm. The width of the row spacing should be about 13 cm, and the spacing between tubers depends on their size and can vary from 4 to 6 cm.
Freesia is watered and covered with a generous layer of mulch immediately after planting. It protects the root system from overheating and keeps the moisture.
In Conclusion
Due to the tropical origin of freesia, it needs abundant and regular moisturizing throughout the season. The plant should be watered so frequently that the soil is always slightly moist. As soon as flowering stops, watering is gradually reduced. Remember to regularly loosen the soil near the flower and remove weeds. Some species of freesia have rather fragile peduncles, so they need support. Good luck!
