Freesia

Freesias prefer a sheltered location where flowers can be protected from the sun during the hottest part of the day. Soil must be well-drained with plenty of peat and sand added. A peat based compost is ideal for pot culture.

Plant freesia bulbs indoors from September to November. Plant 5 bulbs per 12cm(5in) pot, 2cm(1in) deep and 2cm(1in) apart.

Or plant bulbs outdoors from mid-April when the frosts are over, plant 5cm(2in) apart, 5cm(2in) deep.

Keep soil moist during the growing period and insert strong twigs among them to keep the stems upright. Corms (bulbs) are not hardy; only on the Scilly and Channel Islands can they be left in the soil.

Freesias are usually grown for cutting as their blooms are famously fragrant.