The MGS Forum
Plants for mediterranean gardens => Bulbs (including other geophytes with corms, tubers, rhizomes etc) => Topic started by: Hilary on September 26, 2011, 05:32:48 PM
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I have had no success in growing bulbs in pots.
We do have a built in trough on the balcony where I push in freesia bulbs amongst the succulents. There is always a good show in the early spring.
The freesias, which the local shops sell, are imported from Holland.
I leave the bulbs in the soil all summer and if any float to the top I remove them and store until the autumn.
We do have this freesia which came to me in a pot of something else from my old neighbour. It pops up year after year.
A few years ago we saw a garden of a then empty house near the Corinth Canal carpeted with these flowers.
I have left the photo un named for the experts to do their stuff.
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Too many for me to even think of a name! Though I thought that I would mention that in London we have grown them as summer bedding from "prepared" corms which will start into growth in spring and flower in late summer.
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The large wide open flowers with purplish exterior and yellow mark on the central lower tepal points to Freesia alba, but the flower is inverted.
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For pictures of a most unusual freesia species, click here (http://www.mgsforum.org/smf/index.php?topic=694).
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The first Freesia to bloom this year.
I hope others come up in more interesting colours
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The second Freesia to appear on the balcony was this blue one
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Hello Hillary. How lovely to have beauty and scent all in one flower. Our freesias, which were given to us as bulbs by friends, are trying to keep up their spikes and flower. The poor things get flatten every year as our 4 cats play hide and seek in the garden. Anything delicate suffers. They flower but they don't stand up nicely.
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Another freesia decided to flower, a white one this time.
They all hang over the balcony and are mostly appreciated by the people living opposite!
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The freesias seem to have all died down now.
I see this copper coloured one , flowering in March, every year as it is at eye level on a low balcony which I pass on my way into town.
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I have lots of hybrid freesias in a variety of colours. They never set seed. I have one species that is self-seeding nicely. This year a rogue freesia, in a pot all by itself, has sent up a flower, the colour of which is completely new to me. Is it possible that one of the hybrids has pollinated the species and resulted in this?
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David we have to wait for our expert, Fermi, to tell us.
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Let's hope Fermi has an idea. I did buy some freesias this year but they can't account for the newcomer photographed above. They were already potted up and flowering when I bought them. A little bit more yellow than this photo shows but nowhere near as bright as the usual yellow freesias.
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Every year we have yellow and white ones popping up all over the place, mostly in locations that I have no recollection of planting them. This year one solitary purplish one has put in an appearance.
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David we have to wait for our expert, Fermi, to tell us.
Charithea,
I always remember a friend who was called an expert and she said that "x is an unknown quantity and a spurt is a drip under pressure"! ;D
I have lots of hybrid freesias in a variety of colours. They never set seed. I have one species that is self-seeding nicely. This year a rogue freesia, in a pot all by itself, has sent up a flower, the colour of which is completely new to me. Is it possible that one of the hybrids has pollinated the species and resulted in this?
David,
my guess is that you guessed correctly - especially if your bees are up this early
cheers
fermi
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Hi Fermi. Your friend's interpretation of 'expert ' is rather funny. I did not want to call you what I call our almost 15 year old very smart grandson. I can not remember if I mention that my Salvia canariensis died but my Salvia candelabrum has finally started to flower. I am waiting for it to fill up with flowers and then ask John to photograph it for the forum.