The diggers are here and I found a clump of Freesia ‘Burtonii’ flowering right where it will get in the way. I thought I had transplanted all of these, but this lot must have sneaked off and hidden under a rock. I will harvest the last of the flowers next week and then dig this last lot up.
Freesia alba ‘Burtonii’ is an old New Zealand cultivar, strongly scented, shorter and tougher than the coloured hybrids. It is a sport of Freesia refracta alba, found and propagated by Mrs. Burton in the 1930’s in Nelson New Zealand. They have larger cream and yellow flowers than the species (the purple ones in the vase were purchased as Burtonii but are probably closer to the original species). It’s not all that easy to buy these now, although they have naturalised in old gardens and even in grass on dry hills.
In the coral garden I have more of the coloured hybrids, although the pheasants dug up many of the ones I planted this year. I suppose that they ate them – all I found were the skins. Next year I will plant them under rocks.
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for hosting this meme. At the other end of the season she has today the beautiful dahlia ‘Cafe au Lait’.
Absent Gardener 
Your vase of Freesias is lovely. So nice to see the border.
Thank you 🙂
Great to see the garden where yourFreesias are growing…and also the rescued flowers in your arrangement.
Thanks Noelle 🙂
What a pretty freesia, Cath – I think I like it better than the brigheter varieties. Interesting to see your border too
brighter, that is – I can spell, really!
Thanks, I think I like it better in vase, the scent is lovely all week. I like the coloured one in the garden though, cheery against grey skies. 🙂
Freesias are one of my favourites and I’m sure they smell divine. These are subtly beautiful. I have no flowers this year. I think mice ate the corms. Not knowing when I’m beaten, I’ll try again. Maybe with mesh over the pots or rocks as your suggest.
I am convinced that pheasants ate mine, I saw them hanging around in that part of the garden, where they don’t normally go. I had planted them in loose sandy soil which made it easy for them. Once the corms are established they don’t seem to get them.
Lovely to see your vase in the spring garden! I love the scent of Freesias. Enjoy! 🙂
So pretty, those Freesias. Are the stones in the border cut coral? Looks much different from the coral in my garden.
Thank you 🙂 the coral garden was so called because one year everything flowered together, and there were a lot of low growing humps of flowers like Thrift and Pinks, which C imagined as an undersea scene of corals and seaweeds. It is less sunny now with larger trees and taller plants.
I like the long shot of your garden wall and spring blossoming trees. I love seeing the beginning of the growing season when everything is before us. 🙂 The freesias must be heavenly and you don’t even have to bend over to sniff them!
Thanks Eliza, I love this time of year but it goes so fast.
Shame we can’t smell them from here. So lovely
i have been trying to get some freesia burtonii bulbs for a long time . do you have any to sell