I love this time of year when the flowers poke their little heads up and bloom, seemingly to celebrate the coming of Spring.
When we moved to Vacaville we found many lovely plants spread throughout our garden, which is one of the reasons why we fell in love with this home. It was especially exciting to discover numerous “surprise” bulbs bursting with colorful blossoms within weeks after our move. The previous owners obviously loved their garden and left us a treasure that still keeps on giving.
Some of the lovely plants that are still blooming after so many years are our Freesias (Freesia spp.). These plants are perennial, and we look forward to their return each year. They display their magnificent flowers at the beginning of March, depending on the weather. These freesias can remain in bloom for 6 to 7 weeks, lots of time to enjoy.
Freesias can be found in a wide variety of colors, including purple, lavender, pink, orange, red, yellow, white, and cream. The blooms are quite unique as they have roughly six to twelve flowers on one stem, which open sequentially from the bottom up, as seen in one of the attached photos.
Freesias are from South Africa and grow from something called ‘corms.' Corms are like bulbs and are planted underground. The corms will store energy and produce stems with new shoots. The Corms can be grown in pots or in the garden. When planting outside, it is best to plant them about 1.5 to 2 inches deep. For our local USDA garden zones 9 and 10, Freesias should be planted in the fall.
These plants are splendidly aromatic in the garden and will also fill a room with fragrance with cut flowers. We have them in our kitchen, and they add a fantastic spring-like scent to the room. I hope you consider bringing this wonderful flower to your own garden for seasonal pleasures.