Here in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, the hybrid freesias sold in flower in grocery stores and florists survive and bloom for many years in open garden beds that receive plenty of summer water. They also survive and bloom in containers I don't water in the summer but receiving summer rain. They tend to go dormant in mid-summer and return with winter rains, blooming in early spring and often setting seed without my assistance. We have had temperatures from 90 - 102 F / 34 - 38C for over a month now and they are still in full leaf. Admittedly, Chicago can get as much rain in a week as we get all summer, and our winters resemble a Chicago May. I have read somewhere along the line that the hybrids tend to have both winter and summer growers in their ancestry. They are sold in many areas of the US as summer bulbs. I would give them a try. You might consider growing them in containers (a foot or so / 30cm across) and plunging the containers for easier lifting and storing. Leo Martin Phoenix Arizona USA