Titanarum

I couldn’t do it. The little freesia bulbs with their lanky, browned, spotted leaves should have been binned, deserved to binned. But something made me stop. Perhaps it was compassion; doesn’t what’s sickly deserve a second, even third chance? Perhaps it was guilt - for was not their pathetic growth all down to me ignoring good advice and planting them long before their season? Or it could have been forgetfulness. I remember pushing the tray back into the corner of the sill some time ago, pulling the curtains so as to cover them. I never touched that curtain until a few days ago. Or was it laziness, pure and simple? Nothing would surprise me. However, on balance their survival probably came about as a result of ALL of those things. Guilt made me draw the curtain, laziness prevented me from pulling it, forgetfulness made me, well, forget about them and my compassion ensured a new and better future. Before transplanting to a bigger and better pot with a thick layer of moist compost the 12 bulbs had a haircut. Two days on they are greener and fresher than ever. There WILL be flowers.

The freesias will have to go. I planted them, with all the goodness of my heart, just after Xmas. I was in the grips of a dark, leafless and wintry gloom and needed to cheer myself up with some hope. And what is growing stuff if not hope? Yes, it was early. Three months early according to the instructions. But hey, what’s the point of instructions if not to ignore them? But I shouldn’t have. I was so wrong. As mentioned in an earlier post, they’ve been looking a bit too lanky lately. Not elegant freesia lanky but spotted teenager lanky. And brown spots are now showing on every single bulb. So ugly are they becoming I’ve had to hide them behind a curtain. But let’s face out of sight isn’t out of mind. The misshaped growths are a constant reminder of my fallibility and I cannot bear it much longer.I would have loved to show you a photo of the bulbs complete with flowers set. I would have loved to gloat. But in this instance I’ve accepted that admitting defeat is my only option. So to all you manufacturers of freesia bulbs out there: I hope you’re happy now.

This man knows his fresias. Respect.