Anniversary |
A pure delight, the petals of the freesia
grow from what seems like a delicate stem. This delicacy however, is
somewhat of a misgiving as the freesia is a wonderfully resilient little
flower. Available in long-stem or short-stem form, the freesia can be
found in a real array of colours - from pure white to yellow, to deep
purple and red.
These deep colours are typically the most fragrant - a real "Marmite" of
the flower world. People seem to either love or hate this little gem,
with its unusual shape and sweet, fragrant scent. Luckily most people
fall into the former category, ourselves included... we love it! Their
scent, ranging from subtle to what could also be considered pungent, is
often used in cosmetics - from hand lotions to shampoo!
Popular in bouquets and arrangements alike, a basket of freesia is a
wonderful gift - popular with florists, customers and recipients alike
at Mothers Day especially. Its traditional values and sweet smell make
it a favourite of mothers around the world. Often considered seasonal,
freesia is now available all year round, thanks to the efforts of
growers to provide perfect growing conditions for 12 months of the year.
The freesia, in it's numerous varieties, is almost exclusively found
wild in the Cape Province of South Africa, with a couple of variants
native to tropical Africa, and just one species extending north of the
equator to Sudan.
Numerous cultivars are now available, both as garden plants and as
cut-flowers. Some of the wildest, most colourful cultivars are actually
hybrids between the freesia and gladioli. Hybridizing these two species
of flower has helped to provide us with the array of colours and scents
we have on offer to us today. |
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