Floral Media - Flower Agenda - week 9-12 - Freesia

I'm back this month with another 'Flower Agenda' - where the Flower Council of Holland feature a special cut flower every month. This month it's all about the Freesia.

Freesia was first found in South Africa where the flower is called 'Cape-lily-of-the-valley'. It was given it's name by the South African botanist Ecklon in 1830. He named it after his friend Dr Friedrich Freese. 

The freesia are grown from tubers and they come as single or double flowers. It also comes in a wide variety of colours - white, yellow, orange, red, blue, pink and purple - as well as bi-coloured and multi-coloured. Many varieties have a beautiful sweet scent and they carry on growing in the vase. 

Here are some care tips: 

- Use a clean vase and fill it with water at room temperature.

- Add flower food for a longer vase life.

- Trim the stems diagonally with a pair of sharp and clean flower scissors.

- Don't place freesias in a draught, in full sun or near central heating.   

- Also don't place freesias near fruit or vegetables that emits  ethylene gas which will cause the flowers to age more rapidly.

- Remove wilted flower heads to encourage further flowering and change the water in the vase every two days. 

Traditionally a spring flower but is now available all year around and its one of the world's most popular cut flowers. 

It can be used in many different ways - in bud vases with just one or a few stems in each vase. Mixed with other flower in larger bouquets where it will provide fabulous colour and texture to the whole arrangement.

The freesia has wonderful long arching stems that gives interesting long, lovely lines and the flower buds keep opening along the stem ending at the tip in little green buds. 

I hope you have enjoyed my little feature on freesias and why not try some this season yourself. 

Have fun with your arranging and I will be back with another Flower Agenda next month - when I will be featuring Gerberas.

[All images are provided by the Flower Council of Holland.]

Enjoy your flower arranging and have a fabulous floral day!

Ingrid 

~ xoxo ~

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