Hi Martin, No need to try and grow them as annuals, I dont know anyone doing that. F grandiflora is likely to be more tender than F laxa, the latter can survive against a wall here north of NYC, and it is small enough to be easy to manage under lights. Both like to seed around, the F laxa more so than grandiflora. Although F grandiflora only grows in summer rainfall areas, it seems to want to come up in fall and grow through winter, F laxa in its other than blue form (that one seems to be a winter grower) can come up and bloom any time it wants. Ernie DeMarie -----Original Message----- From: Garak <garak@code-garak.de> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Sat, Nov 21, 2015 8:26 am Subject: [pbs] Freesia laxa as annual? Hi List! Being in a highly experimental starting phase of my "bulbs from seed" career, I started Freesia Laxa and F. grandiflora back around the 15th of june - yes, I know, rather strange time for that. Right now, about 5 months later, I have the first open flower on F.laxa subsp. laxa, and big buds on Joan Evans and F. Grandiflora, just in time for the first freezing in my Zone 7 central Europe garden. They're still in pots, so I think I'll shield them from the worst cold, but the extremely short time to flower makes me wonder: does anyone cultivate them as pure annuals in my or any colder climate? I imagine starting them indoor in March together with the tomatoes could get them to flower in late August, if they keep the timing. Or do I oversee something obvious? -- Martin ---------------------------------------------- Southern Germany Likely zone 7a