Skip to main content
Freesias flop. One suggestion I was given is to plant them in hanging baskets, where their floppy tendency will cause the lovely flowers to drape gracefully over the edges of the baskets. Sounds viable for those who want to go to the effort of hanging baskets. I found an easy solution for Freesias in the ground. Here they come back year after year, and slowly increase over time.
A circle of wire fencing about 4" tall, with an inch sunk into the soil, holds the plants up sufficiently to enable the flowers to be seen and enjoyed. During their dormancy the circle also marks the corm location. Easy. I like Freesias, but I also like easy.
Natasha flops, too. A couch is her preferred support.
There's no way to prevent this:
That's a good idea. My Freesias are already flopping all over. As to Natasha, I thought only cats slept like that. (Don't tell Natasha I said that - I'm sure she'd be insulted.)
ReplyDeleteShe would be horrified. We won't mention it. She looks so comfortable, so relaxed...I wish I could relax like that.
DeleteI like your solution-though my main issue with is the spring freeze event that will ruin the flowers. I am on a constant anti-flop regimen.
ReplyDelete"Freeze"?!?! 8^(
DeleteFreesias are only sold as cut flowers here.
ReplyDeleteYour Natasha looks so comfortable all flopped over like that.
We are lucky to be able to grow Freesias so easily. The fragrance is delightful.
DeleteYou can grow tulips and we can't--here they must be refrigerated before bloom--and often the bloom is ruined as soon as it emerges because it is too warm here. Then they do not come back the next year.
Natasha makes herself comfortable no matter what!
I've stopped buying the small spring bulbs but are they ever still coming up! Mostly ixia, I think.
ReplyDeleteMust be that rain stuff. Could be a memorable Spring.
DeleteSigh...so sad that you continue to deny that Natasha’s exhaustion is the result of overwork.
ReplyDeleteIf napping and teasing her brother can be called working.
DeleteThat's a good idea. I bet once they grow through and over the netting you can't even see the supports. Natasha looks absolutely blissed out!
ReplyDeleteThe support is so low it is unobtrusive. I'm surprised it works as well as it does. Just a little nudge keeps the flower stems upright.
DeleteThanks, I thought I was doing something wrong, as in planted not deep enough or something.
ReplyDeletePlanting deeper might help--it's worth a try. Here it did not seem to make a difference but soil-climate differences...you never know.
DeleteThis year I shoved some mulch up around some of the clusters of bulbs and that worked okay. I'm also going to try some in pots next year--with the potting mix a little low, so the edges of the pot act as support. That will be an interesting experiment.
I'm actually growing 3 of them in a pot indoors, and while they're looking healthy, they've just started to lean a bit sideways after reaching a hight of about 20 cm, before that were upright. (So it'd not the strong wind either, as was my other theory). Don't remember how deep I've planted them. Might try deeper than recommended next time too.
Delete