Freesia: February Flower of the Month

FEBRUARY’S FLOWER OF THE MONTH: THE ELEGANT FREESIA

The month of love is upon us! Although February and Valentines Day may be synonymous with Red Roses the lovely Freesia stands out as a way to express your love!

THREE FACTS ABOUT THE FLOWER OF THE MONTH

• The Freesia symbolizes unconditional love. Traditionally, you give white Freesias to your spouse after seven years of marriage as a reminder of pure, genuine love. The beautiful fragrance of the comb of flowers lends an extra dimension to this. The Freesia also symbolizes innocence.
• Did you know that the Freesia was discovered in South Africa? Here they call the flower ‘Cape Lily-of-the-Valley’. The flower was given the name Freesia around 1830 by the South African botanist Ecklon, who named it after his friend, the German Dr. F. Freese.
• The Freesias flower display is called a comb because of the way the flower buds are lined up so neatly.

 

THE FREESIAS COLOURS, SHAPES AND FRAGRANCES

The Freesias tuber forms small tubers under the soil called beads. These beads grow into a full tuber and ultimately into a comb with flowers, which lends extra style to any home. Just like Tulips Freesias carry on growing merrily in the vase! The Freesia can be single or double flowered and comes in white, yellow, orange, red, blue, pink and purple, but can also be bi-coloured or multi-coloured. Many varieties have a beautiful sweet scent which makes Freesias even more attractive.

 

VALENTINE FREESIAS AND OTHER MANY POSSIBILITIES

Except for a flower that can express your love to someone, the various Freesia colours mean that you can go in different deceptions. Anything is possible with the elegant scented Freesia. Mix all colours with some green foliage for a cheerful arrangement. Try to experiment with different lengths of Freesias to enhance the fun factor in your arrangement.

 

SIX STEPS TO ENJOY YOUR FREESIA TO THE FULLEST

To make sure you can enjoy the Freesias to the fullest we listed some tips below:

1. Select a clean vase and fill it with tap water at room temperature.
2. Add cut flower food to the water for a longer vase life.
3. Trim the stems diagonally by 3 to 5 cm with a sharp clean knife or sectors.
4. Don’t place Freesias in a draught, in full sun or near central heating.
5. Regularly top the vase up with tap water.
6. Don’t place Freesias near a fruit bowl. Fruit emits ethylene gas which will cause the flowers to age more rapidly.