Salt Lake Telegram | 1936-08-26 | Page 8 | Freesias Are Recommended for Christmas Flowering

Freesias Are Aie Recommended For Christmas Flow Flowering ring S By MAUD l CHEGWIDDEN Telegram Garden Editor If If- you would have a pot of the most deliciously scented flowers imaginable in bloom on your table at Christmas or shortly after buy some freesia bulbs and proceed to plant them at once The freesia is not quite as easy to manage as the narcissus bulbs which we merely plant in pebbles and water but it isn't far behind Its fragrance fragrance- is superb Is and it remains in bloom longer than the paper white narcissus Also Itis it itIs its is s far less common common and much more refined in appe appearance rance A inch five-inch earthenware pot will I hold half a dozen bulbs or corms corras as they are really of the freesia Put a a. piece of broken crock over oyer the he drainage hole of the pot for freesias must have haye perfect drainage drainage drain drain- age and have ready a mixture of I rich soil sand and leaf leat mold The I corms corma should be planted an inch and a a half deep and the soil well firmed around them Darkness Needed Usually when bulbs are grown in hi pots like this we must put the pots in the dark to enable the bulbs to form good root systems before they are brought to the light for top growth But this is not necessary with freesias and they may be placed at once in a window or outside outside outside out out- side if It you prefer It wont won't be very long before leaves appear Not much water is required at first but as the plants grow the supply should be increased Of course if you place your pots out of doors door you must watch them in a month or so and take them In if it frost is expected I have known killing frosts to come the middle of September some years In the tho house see that the pot has hasa a sunny airy pos position Be careful of drafts from outside doors after cold weather has set in Plenty Flenty of Water W Water ter needs to be pl plentifully given when the flower buds form and a a little liquid manure or a U Stun Plant tablet table tablet pushed into hito the soil at atI atthe atthe the side of the pot will improve matters You will be thrilled beyond beyond beyond be be- I yond words when the lovely flowers open Freesia bulbs may maybe be used over and over again When the blooms begin to fa fade e gradually give less and less water to the pot until all the foliage has shriveled at which time they must be quite dry Keep the potted bulbs in a dry place un until un un-I til tul next year at this time when they i may be taken out of the soil the pot filled with a new mixture and the process process started all ail over again Probably the best variety of freesia is Elders Elder's giant white This is exceedingly floriferous and has flowers of grand form and fra fra- fra- fra grance However there are hybrids in many shades of charming color and all of them are good