A freesia is a garden plant grown for its sweet-smelling flowers. The blooms sit along a thin, slightly bent stem and come in yellow, white, pink, purple, and other soft colours. People buy them for the scent — often a little like honey or fruit — and you will meet the word in flower shops, gardens, and spring bouquets more than in ordinary chat. It is simply a flower name. Though actually, it looks a bit like the English word free, but it has nothing to do with being free; it comes from the plant’s scientific genus name.