Freesia laxa as annual?

Freesia laxa as annual?
Makiko Goto-Widerman (Sat, 21 Nov 2015 15:53:48 PST)

Hi Emie,

Freesia laxa and F.grandiflora are my favorite flowers in winter. We are zone 9-10, dry and hot summer and cold (cool) and wet winter, in January to February. They did grow quickly from seeds, planted in summer time to bloom in winter.
And set many seeds. Multiplied quickly. Leaves are attractive fresh green, very ornamental, too. I donated many bulbuls and seeds this year.
This year I planted more Freesia species and blue color Freesia laxa.
A couple of years I saw many F. laxa and other Freesia species at private garden in Berkley hills, CA.
Makiko
Orange County, CA 9-10

On Nov 21, 2015, at 7:02 AM, pelarg@aol.com wrote:

Hi Martin,
No need to try and grow them as annuals, I dont know anyone doing that. F grandiflora is likely to be more tender than F laxa, the latter can survive against a wall here north of NYC, and it is small enough to be easy to manage under lights. Both like to seed around, the F laxa more so than grandiflora. Although F grandiflora only grows in summer rainfall areas, it seems to want to come up in fall and grow through winter, F laxa in its other than blue form (that one seems to be a winter grower) can come up and bloom any time it wants.
Ernie DeMarie

-----Original Message-----
From: Garak <garak@code-garak.de>
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sat, Nov 21, 2015 8:26 am
Subject: [pbs] Freesia laxa as annual?

Hi List!

Being in a highly experimental starting phase of my "bulbs from seed"
career, I started Freesia Laxa and F. grandiflora back around the 15th
of june - yes, I know, rather strange time for that. Right now, about 5
months later, I have the first open flower on F.laxa subsp. laxa, and
big buds on Joan Evans and F. Grandiflora, just in time for the first
freezing in my Zone 7 central Europe garden. They're still in pots, so I
think I'll shield them from the worst cold, but the extremely short time
to flower makes me wonder: does anyone cultivate them as pure annuals
in my or any colder climate? I imagine starting them indoor in March
together with the tomatoes could get them to flower in late August, if
they keep the timing. Or do I oversee something obvious?

--
Martin
----------------------------------------------
Southern Germany
Likely zone 7a

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