Flower Delivery UK 

A - Z of Cut Flowers - F

Forsythia

Name: It is named in honour of William Forysth, director of the Chelsea Physic Garden
in 1770, maker of the first rock garden in the UK and one of the founders of the
Royal Horticultural Society.
Origin: The plant is native to China and was discovered there by Robert Fortune,
a great eighteenth century plant-hunter.
Colour: Yellow.
Availability: Early spring.
Trivia:
Facts: Forsythia is well known as a garden plant, but is also available as a cut
flowering foliage. It can be one of the first flowers into bloom. Many people have forsythia
plants in their garden but they take up a lot of space, and are pretty dull for the fifty weeks
of the year they are not in flower. Far better to buy a few fresh branches each week of spring.

Freesia

Name: After Dr Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese, a German physician.
Facts: Freesias are among the most popular and widely grown cut flowers in the world,
with over 110 million stems sold in the UK each year. In a recent survey over half the
respondents rated them as one of their favourite flowers.
Availability: Although available all year their peak period is spring.
Origin: South Africa, first imported to Europe at the end of the 19th century.
Colour: Wide range including yellows, red, pinks and white.
Varieties: One of the nicest varieties is "Ballerina", which look like elegant dancers.
Family: Freesia belong to the Iridaceae family, including iris.
Care Tips: Buy them with at least one flower open on the stem. Make sure they have plenty of
water and never let the stem ends dry out. Pinch out the topmost buds and remove the
old flower heads to encourage new ones to open. Keep away from fruit, vegetables,
and excess heat, as they are very sensitive to the ethylene gas produced.
Trivia:
Facts: Unlike most other flowers, where the white forms smell most strongly,
if you want highly scented freesia look for pink and red varieties.
History: Almost unknown until the 1950's it is now one of the UK's favourite flowers.

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