Freesias bright colours, dainty blooms and heavy perfume makes them a popular cut-flower, lasting up to a fortnight.
Freesias, with white considered to be the most fragrant, vary in yellow, orange, red, purple, mauve and pink, along with striped varieties of each colour.
Native to South Africa, where Freesias grow wild in the winter, grow best in a sunny, south-facing position and are in bloom already in Costa Blanca and Costa Calida areas.
Frost, tender plants, to -5, Freesias are well suited to the Costa Blanca winter climate.
The best time to plant the corms in Spain is in the Autumn, as they will produce flowers from January, through to April, growing up to a height of 16 inches, an ideal length for a cut flower.
Freesias, traditionally used to convey friendship, the traditional flower for a 7th Wedding anniversary, are grown for their scented oil, used in perfumes, bath oils, soaps and lotions.
*Following last week’s article on Processionary caterpillar hairs, that can cause death and severe injury to animals, and itchy skin infection to humans, Felix Albaladejo Andreu, from Garden Felix, Los Montesinos, said: “You have to be very careful with animals.
“It can be migrated with cypermethrin, between February and May; and in November, to prevent bacillus.”
