This beautiful flower is not particularly well known in Greece, however, we will meet it in the market, mainly in garden centers, where the sale of bulbs is a widespread phenomenon. So this is Ixia Hybrida, a member of the ornamental garden, which comes to us from the Iridaceae family and Africa! Gardeners and growers appreciate it for its impressive, colorful, unique flowers, so that worldwide it is considered a unique ornamental flower. Ixia Hybrida “escapes” from the traditional color of the famous white version of the genus. Under these conditions, it can even reach half a meter in height! The beautiful flowers it has, appear in the middle of Spring, with the flowering lasting until May!

Freesias in wonderful colors with a charming aroma! Once fall sets in, it’s time to plant fall flower bulbs to give us their wonderful blooms in late winter and early spring. Let’s start with the freesias, which have impressive flowers with a distinct aroma. And as for the colors, what should we choose first: red, purple, pink, yellow, fuchsia and white. We can decorate the most beautiful pots for our balcony, as well as we can plant them in flower beds in our garden. The freesia bulb is planted at a depth of at least 5 cm in the soil with the “tip” of the bulb upwards and at distances of 5-10 cm between each freesia bulb. The freesia loves the sun, that’s why we choose a sunny spot to plant it and give us its rich and fragrant flowering. To plant freesias in our yard or balcony, we choose a pot with a diameter and height of at least 20 centimeters in which we plant 3-4 bulbs. As far as potting soil is concerned, the freesia has no special requirements, as long as we provide it with good drainage so that water can be removed easily. For a better result, it is advisable to place a few gravels at the base of the pot to allow the water to drain better. And a footnote: The pot with the freesias should be placed in a position that has a south orientation to receive the sun’s rays generously.

So many flowers and colors bursting from a dahlia bulb looks truly magical! The dahlia is a plant with tuberous roots, native to the region of Mexico, which was brought to the Netherlands at the end of the 19th century and gradually spread throughout the world. Today, there are thousands of dahlia varieties on the market with different stem heights, from dahlias with a compact growth that are limited to a height of half a meter to dahlias that have a very vigorous growth and reach a height of two meters. We will find varieties of dahlias with different shapes and sizes of flower, as well as in incredible colors, from white, cream, yellow, to pink, purple, orange, red, and even dark red that is almost black. Dahlias need several hours of sunshine to give us their rich flowering. So we choose a sunny spot in our garden, protected from strong winds, to plant them. To plant dahlias in a pot on our balcony, we choose points with a south or west orientation. Dahlias can grow in almost any type of soil, however they prefer fertile, loose soils with good drainage, which is why we incorporate manure and compost when planting. For potted dahlias, we use a quality all-purpose potting soil that contains perlite for better drainage and aeration.

Buttercup or Renagula is a perennial tuberous ornamental plant that is usually grown as an annual. There are many varieties of buttercups that give us abundant flowering in various colors such as yellow, orange, red, pink and white. Watermelon thrives in light soil that exhibits plenty of moisture, good drainage and aeration. To give longer flowering, we prefer to plant it in sunny places. The buttercup is resistant to cold, while high temperatures contribute to the rapid ripening of its flowers. Before planting, it is good to incorporate manure and compost into the soil or potting soil containing perlite if planting the watercress in a pot. We plant the tuberous roots of the buttercup at a depth of about 5 cm, so that they point down and at distances of 10-15 cm between the plants.