Larry, tarev is right, Freesia usually bloom in late winter when they can enjoy the sun while the temps are cool, but can't tolerate freezing. You may have a good chance with them if spring doesn't turn hot suddenly. When I've tried them they start producing buds and then the weather turns hot, and they just melt.

Ok, thanks
I did find this site that recommended planting freesias in spring in Zone 8. So I am going to hope we don't go from winter to summer with no spring weather in between.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/e...

Good luck, Seedfork. Let us know how the grow for you.

Tarev, I can smell your photos from here.

Several years ago I was looking at the clearance bulbs at Lowes in December, and a manager walked over and said "if you're interested, I'll reduce them to a dime a bag if you'll take them all". Of course, I did, and ended up with lots of stuff that isn't hardy here, including a bunch of Freesia. I sent them to a gardener in PA with a greenhouse. I hadn't spoken with her in several years and recently was catching up with her, and she said she still has the Freesia and they bloom like mad every year in the cool greenhouse about this time. When the scent is contained in a greenhouse, it is wonderful!

It may be common knowledge for most, but I just read that the darker the color the stronger the scent with freesias. I also read that they are a perfect plant to grow in a cold frame, so I may try them this winter.
Just read the opposite, the lighter colors have the strongest scent...oh well.

When I get them as cut flowers for wedding work, I've noticed yellow and white are typically really fragrant, the white being a little sweeter and yellow sometimes has a spicy, peppery note. Fragrance seems less pronounced in other colors I've worked with.

A cold frame sounds ideal for them, hmmm....something I should consider. This is the time of year I'm really desperate for blooms, it would be great to have pots of fragrant freesia brightening the house!

Ron, Happy to share the virtual fragrance

Wow, dime a bag of freesias!! That's the kind of sale I want to encounter Neal

It is a bit windier today, a storm front going to the east..of course the rain will jump over us.. but at least some moisture in the air and it is quite cool outside. Last night we only got to 51F, the other day was 38F, so this is fantastic Freesia weather.

I like that it is managing to open the buds even with the limited direct sun it gets.

So the freesias are still doing well, even as our daytime temps seems to jump from winter to summer. Been deadheading spent blooms..but am I doing it correctly..do I remove just the blooms, or even the green receptable that held the bloom?

Ok guys, all your talk of lovely fragrance and the pix of the beautiful blooms have made me wNt some freesias. SO, I spied a package yesterday at Lowes and grabbed them. They are happily nestled in a pot of Miracle Gro potting soil with built in fertilizer. Now, y'all please help me with growing tips, PLEASE! I would love to do good with these.

Try to keep them cool, the leaves need sun but keep the container shielded from the sun heating it too much. It is likely that the temps will be too high by the time they start blooming, which will send them into dormancy. The bulbs should be fine to save, and if you have a spot that is sunny and cool (like an unheated greenhouse), they should bloom next winter.

Thank you. I will leave them on my covered patio this summer then. They will get morning rays of sun but not the hot rays, yet plenty of light. Will see what they do.

Didn't want to burst your bubble, but good to have realistic expectations and know rising temps about the time buds form could keep them from opening. That's a good plan. Someday I hope to have an unheated greenhouse to grow freesia for winter bloom. What a balm for the soul those fragrant blooms would be on snowy days!

Hope your freesias do well Donna...my freesias are done with its blooms. I hope they can come back next growing season.

Thanks to both of you. I just hope I get to see them bloom and smell them. Maybe! Time will tell. All I can do is try.

Just went out and found my mixed freesias are blooming, only yellow so far. Noticed yellow was mentioned as being very fragrant, so now I have to go back out and and see if I can smell them at all.



Finally got back out and stooped down to smell the flowers, yes they are fragrant...even I can smell them.

So glad to hear they bloomed before it got too hot- awesome!

Yes, I was lucky I think. This year it got warm in a hurry, then we hit a cool spell for a few weeks which worked out just right. It hurt the daylily blooms, but I think it was perfect for freesia here, it won't happen often. This may be a one in a lifetime event. Very unusual to have temps in the 50's for several weeks in late April and early May in this part of the state.

It's Fall season! During summer as the freesias sleep, I temporarily put my bougainvillea container on top of them. Now that Fall is here, time to move the bougainvillea.

Nice to see the freesias are waking up, right on cue! Excited to see how the regrowth goes on.

Oh my! I bought freesia bulbs this spring in the store and planted them like a dummy. They came right up and did absolutely NOTHING! I was so upset. I'm in west Tennessee, is all lost? They are in a container, but all I've had all summer is green blades. So disappointed. Should I let them die down or keep watering???