Primula dec 2006

[Joakim B]

Dear all is has been such a long time and no one has posted so I will post a flowering primula, the normal type that is sold for 1/2 to 1 € in gardencenters. Here there is a constant losing battle aginst the slugs as caan be seen in the second picture.
That is an "indoor" version in Sweden but works outdoor in Portugal. It has hairy leafs and stems and is eaten by the slugs but it tries to survive anyway. Here it is together with a seedling of the cyclamen shown in "flowering dec 2006."
Hope there will be more pics even if it is just of comon ones.
The funny thing with these cardencenter ones is that they actuallty flower even in Sweden in decamber when nothing else is in flower. That is a bonus.

If someone knows the latin names it would be nice. I think the "garden primula" is vulgaris but I am not sure about the name and have no clue to the "indoor one".

Kind regards Joakim

[mark smyth]

thanks for kick starting the page.

I have one very forward with buds. Lost label but I'm sure Lesley will have a positive ID. It's in a trough on the north side of the house where there is very poor light for a good photo

[Joakim B]

Since I did not get any suggestions of what the primulas might be I tried to identify them myself.
I was right about the first one being primula vulgaris and I think the second one is primula obconica and mostly an indoor plant.
In portugal it survives outdoor if the slugs let it.

By the way I saw a lot of the primul vulgaris in the park and a few had flowers. Some seems to have a lot of primulaveris in them so that they have a stem rather than the flowers among the foliage. I think the hybrids are nicer than the normal vulgaris.

If I am wrong please correct me.

Kind regards
Joakim

[mark smyth]

yes the first one is P. vulgaris. Your indoor one could be P. obconica a common gift around Mothers Day here in the UK

Here is my unknown Primula, bought with a label at the time, with extra refected light on it from a neighbours house

[johanneshoeller]

We have a very warm winter in Austria this year. The last days the temperature was beetween -5°C in the morning and +8°C. And so some of my very tiny seedlings of this year have started to flower.
I show some photos of Primula auricula and clusiana with frost, one with clusiana seedlings from this year and an other seedling 2006 with a flower (hirsuta?). The well flowering Primula is a hybrid from my garden (allionii x ?).

Hans

[Joakim B]

Johannes
It is always nice to see flowers in the middle of the winter. Nice contrast between the bud and the flower. Congratulation on having seedlings blooming.

Happy new Year
Joakim

[Joakim B]

I learned that the hybrid of Primula vulgaris is called Primula X polyantha and that it is the one supplied in the gardencenters.
I learned that by looking in one of the links in the link page. Yet another reason to loo at the page. Learning new things all the time.
Hope to see more flowering Primulas soon.
Kind regards
Joakim

[Joakim B]

I did not thik it was a point starting a new thread since there is so much room in this one.
Here is the flowers of the previously shown Primula obconica?
It is hairy but those hairs are not seen in the picture.
The slugs is a bigger problem than the weather.

Kind regards
Joakim

[Susan Band]

Mark
Just noticed this thread, must have been on holiday when you ask for an ID for your primula. It looks like it could be Primula whitei (bhutanica). If it is a lovely shade of blue it will be, one of the first to flower in the spring. Cluny gardens is famous for it, did you get there at the disscusion weekend? It is really beautiful and worth making the effort to keep it going. It likes a nice cool shady spot with lots of leaf mould and is best split after a few years, at this time of the year there are often offsets for the picking. It will come from leaf cuttings, but that is a slow process. If it turns out to be yellow it is probabally aureata, they used to be produced by micro prop. and didn't last many years, don't know if there are so many about now.
Susan

[Maggi Young]

Susan, when you said "It is really beautiful and worth making the effort to keep it going, " I thought you were speaking about Cluny...which I know you will agree, certainly IS really beautiful and worth making the effort to keep it going!! I don't doubt that Wendy and John Mattingley think so too!!
This is Cluny House Garden, see here: http://www.perthshire.co.uk/index.asp?pg=130
Primulas are just one of their specialities!

pinched this pic to tempt folks!

[Susan Band]

Maggie, Its my most favourite garden in the whole world

[mark smyth]

Susan it came from Susan Tindall. Where do labels go!?

Now those hexagonal pots look very interesting

[hadacekf]

My visit in Cluny House Gardens was a high point of my several Scotland journeys.  In spite of rain was the garden marvellous and I seen many rare plants.
Particularly the many Primulas were impressive. I spent a beautiful afternoon with Bobby and Betty Masterton and tee and cakes were wonderful too! I dream still about this garden

Bobby Masterton is the Gentleman in Pullover  with Eric Hilton and wife and Betty Masterton.

[Susan Band]

Franz,
It must have been a long time since you were at Cluny. Bobby's daughter and son-in- law now look after the garden and although I don't recall seeing that bed of Mec grandis recently everything else in the garden looks wonderful. There are still Primula sonchifolia, loads of trilliums, masses of candlearbra primulas and a great varitey of lilies. John and Wendy have also added a lot to the underplanting of the Rhododendrons using primulas grown from wild seed, ariseamas, helleborus and other new introdutions. Luckly for me it is only 1/2hr away and I try to get up once or twice a year, whenever there is a lovely evening or I have friends. Still a bit early for this year's visit. Loads of interesting birds and also Red squirrels in the garden.
Susan

[hadacekf]

Susan,
I visited Cluny House Gardens before 25 years.