I planted some, they bloomed once and went away. I think they didn't like our climate.

I considered trying some that VE had in their sale, dawdled and they were gone. I ordered hyacinths instead.

Nell

Libby, my mother grows them in her greenhouse, scads of them. They start blooming late February and go on for a good month or so. Funny thing about their scent, I can't smell them at all but J will walk into a room where there is a bouquet of them and immediatly gets unpleasently overwhelmed to the point where he has to leave the room.
We can't grow them outdoors here, just not enough season for them, too bad, they are so beautiful.Martha

In 1997, I planted some in my one lonely raised garden.
Oh my were they something.
Well...... beginners luck I guess. I have never had that many blooms again. Just one or two spikes with a couple blooms each.

I did buy some bulbs that are in the fridge waiting, waiting, waiting....

I have tried few times to grow them - and nothing happened. Maybe critters had them for lunch before they even had a chance to show up.
~Natalie

I've grown Freesias in the greenhouse but I can't say I was pleased with the results, they did bloom but were rather wimpy. Maybe the corms weren't the best, I bought them packaged off the rack. They don't come up if I plant them in the garden. Now I just buy the blooms when in season, I love their scent.

Annette

Okay, here is the thing with freesias. I have grown them for many years.

In my experience ususally the first year you buy them and plant them......the bulbs divide. I am not sure why this happens but it does. I have observed this many times. You will get a few grass like leaves and if you are lucky you may get one or two blooms. The following year you will usually get more blooms. However....some of them will decide to divide again. When they put all their energy into dividing you won't see flowers.

I grow them in pots, that I start indoors sometime in March or April. I move the pots outdoors in June. They usually bloom in July or Aug. After a couple years in the pot....they will have to be thinned.

The do not like very much water (they will rot if you over water them) and definately don't like very cold temps.

Sierra

Sierra, thanks for the lowdown on Freesias, maybe I'll give them another try. That's what probably happened with mine, some decided to divide and didn't bloom so I tossed them. Now, how many corms to what size pot and how deep did you plant them? Which fertilizer do you use on them and when?

Annette

Martha Interesting thing about people's sense of smell. I too can become overwelmed by a sweet bunch of indoor flowers. But outdoor, they smell lovely. Lily-of-the valley, lilacs and sweet peas come to mind. A little bit does a lot.

Sierra Thanks, now I know I won't be growing them no matter how much I enjoy their perfume.

Libby.......off to discover were they grow naturally.

Annette, Ummmm well...lol I have used 6 inch clay pots to the 12 inch plastic...and the 2 foot long trough planters. I plant them about an inch to an inch and a half apart. Mostly I just squish the corms I have into the size pot that happens to be available. lol I plant 3 to 4 inches deep....not sure what they are actually supposed to be. Fertilizer plant prod 20 20 20 and seaweed....every 2 or 3 weeks...when I remember them.

Libby, If you find a good website where they grow naturally, please share it with us.

Sierra...who is watching the city snowplow/sandtruck getting pulled out of the ditch by a really BIG tow truck. :O

Libby, I'm really surprised freesias don't grow for you. They do gangbusters here, and I don't think you're that much colder than we are. They need sun and protection from any soil freeze, though. If you have the right microclimate I don't see why they wouldn't work for you.

Sierra has it right that they DON'T like poor drainage, though. They will take being extremely dry in the summer, but they need water starting around October.

Mine did take about 2 yrs to bloom, but now they bloom reliably every March-April. They tend to flop, however, so growing them with plant supports really helps. They are one of the very few perennials that has survived the evergreen groundcovers that usually smother other bulbs I've tried. My freesias are already sending up leaves and now are about 2-10" high in various places.

The yellow seem the most vigorous, and I understand singles are more fragrant than doubles. These photos are from a couple of years ago:
{{gwi:766110}}

I like the red and purple best, but they struggle to increase. I do feed mine bonemeal and greensand every year, too.
{{gwi:766111}}

sniff sniff ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Thanks jkom. Can't grow them here because we get plenty of frosts and my shelthered spots are all in shade.

I found this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardenprojects/3317422/The-big-freesia.html

(don't think I could link this)

Libby

I'm among those who can more-than-tolerate the scent of Freesia, Lily-of-the-Valley, etc. Just don't give me any of those fake dryer-sheets!

I tried Fressia on the cheap, from seed, for a couple years, coddled in pots. Got the nice strappy leaves, but didn't have Sierra & jkom's experience to overwinter them.

Just might try again. Thanks for the thread Libby.

Ana

Oh Sierra - too funny!!! It's not even officially winter yet!!! I was installing lights and putting a weather shield on the garden room windows~~~ I needed a screw slightly longer, looked out and saw the 'blizzard'. Yuck!!!!

Cheers, Nancy.

Hmmm, Libby, what about planting them in tall pots in a sunny spot? I've had some success doing that with tender perennials. We do get frost days here, although not many of them - but enough so that tender plants like ivy geraniums, magilla, strobilanthes, and lotus bertholotti have to be in pots for them to survive in my garden.

Might be worth a try, anyway....