Primula 2014

[Martin Baxendale]

David, as I remember 'Marven' from when  my parents and I grew it years ago, it was much darker flowered than your photo. Is true 'Marven' perhaps no longer in general cultivation? I ordered it from a nursery recently and was disappointed to find that what was sent had much paler flowers like yours, more like an ordinary marginata selection, whereas 'Marven' is a marginata x venusta cross getting the darkness of the flowers from venusta.

I've finally tracked down what I hope will be true 'Linda Pope' again after years of looking to re-acquire it. Now I need to find a source for re-acquisition of 'White Lady'. Any suggestions?

[Martin Baxendale]

I found this pic on a Czech website which looks right to me, including the foliage, which should be virtually un-toothed.

http://skalnicky-jundrov.webnode.cz/album/o-p/primula-marven-jpg/

[Lesley Cox]

Well Lesley, there is a great history of very good doubles being grown from Barnhaven seed in New Zealand. That is where Hopley's got their range from back in the 1980s. Sadly those succumbed to the winter weather (the stock having been in pots) and vine weevil, and although some of their varieties were micro-propped I haven't found any of them yet. Glad you are keeping the tradition going!

Forgive me Caroline, I don't know of Hopley's. Are they an English firm? Your 2nd post almost sounds as if you have some experience of primulas in New Zealand.

A good many years ago now, Muriel Davison at Wyndham (her garden is Maple Glen) in Southland grew many doubles from Barnhaven seed. She listed dozens in different colours, using a letter and number code to identify them all. I had quite a few over time but have none now, though most doubles - there still are a few around - probably came from that source. I'm hoping to build up a little collection and propagate them again.

[David Nicholson]

David, as I remember 'Marven' from when  my parents and I grew it years ago, it was much darker flowered than your photo. Is true 'Marven' perhaps no longer in general cultivation? I ordered it from a nursery recently and was disappointed to find that what was sent had much paler flowers like yours, more like an ordinary marginata selection, whereas 'Marven' is a marginata x venusta cross getting the darkness of the flowers from venusta.

I've finally tracked down what I hope will be true 'Linda Pope' again after years of looking to re-acquire it. Now I need to find a source for re-acquisition of 'White Lady'. Any suggestions?

Yes Martin, I'm suspicious about mine but, having said that I'm suspicious about most of my marginatas. As I've said before most of my my marginatas were amongst a collection of Primulas I took over from a grower who had passed away and at this stage I have retained the labels they came with. If the picture link you sent is of the true plant then my plant is not 'Marven'. Mary Robinson (1994) doesn't give too many clues apart from "......... Rich purple blue flowers with a distinctive very dark eye, surrounded with a ring of farina. The good heads of fairly small flowers are carried on a 6" (15cm) stem. The leaves are neat and covered in farina (she doesn't say they are toothless though)". It's well time there was another book extending and updating Robinson which is just about the only tome of any value currently.

'Marven' and some of my other marginatas I had intended to take to the South West AGS Show to discuss with David Philbey and get his views on them but unfortunately David is not able to be there. One of these days I hope to be able to pay a visit to David as he has probably more knowledge than any other Primula grower in the country. I intend to make contact with one or two people I came across in my previous Primula growing days and membership of NAPS to seek their views too.

There are always going to be problems in trying to identify plants from pictures as light conditions differ so much on a group of plants which, lets face it, are sometimes very similar to each other to the extent that I sometimes think one label suits many!

I have three plants labeled 'Linda Pope' (all from the source described above) but no flowers so far. If I gat any flowers it will be interesting to compare them with your plant though.

As far as 'White Lady' is concerned, and Mary Robinson says plants sold as 'White Linda Pope' are the same, I used to have a plant a few years ago but lost it. I have a memory that I might have got it from Chris Boulby and I hope Chris reads this.

[Martin Baxendale]

David,

Primulas of Europe and America doesn't give much more information than Mary Robinson does, nothing about the lack of leaf toothing and no photo in either book. But I'm 100% certain that the photo on the Czech website is true to name. It's less than 10 years since I had 'Marven' and I have a pretty good visual memory of it.

I've had 'Linda Pope' from two growers, last year and this year. One looks wrong, having small leaf toothing. The other, from Pottertons, looks right even just in leaf, as it has the very large and prominent toothing of the leaves that is a distinct feature of 'Linda Pope'.

This is a pretty good photo of what looks to me to be true to name:

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+1004+0019

[ChrisB]

Hi David,
Ruth Hadden who has Ryal Nursery here in Northumberland holds the NC of Primula marginata and always scours our Hexham show benches for correct names and has sorted a couple of mine out for me.  I have a plant that has very white flowers that is labelled P. allionii x Linda Pope and that it had been obtained from Ruth but I'll confirm that tomorrow.  Here is a picture of it.  Whether this is what you meant I'm not sure but it's all I have and you are certainly welcome to a cutting if it's what you want.  And I bought from the members stall 2012 and think it may have been donated by young Mr Smethurst....

[David Nicholson]

Hi Chris, wish I lived nearer Ryal Nursery (you got me P. m 'Mrs Carter Walmsley' from there last year) I'd be round like a shot with my marginatas (cue for a short break in Northumberland!). As I said earlier it's the Devil's own job trying to identify them from pictures.

Did you mean you had two plants of WLP, one from Ryal (subject to confirmation) and one possibly donated by Brian Smethie? Slack Top Nursery (wilds above Halifax) list it and in their picture it has a distinct pale yellow eye and from your pic, and I can't get it big enough to see properly, I'm not sure yours has?

[David Nicholson]

David,

Primulas of Europe and America doesn't give much more information than Mary Robinson does, nothing about the lack of leaf toothing and no photo in either book. But I'm 100% certain that the photo on the Czech website is true to name. It's less than 10 years since I had 'Marven' and I have a pretty good visual memory of it.

I've had 'Linda Pope' from two growers, last year and this year. One looks wrong, having small leaf toothing. The other, from Pottertons, looks right even just in leaf, as it has the very large and prominent toothing of the leaves that is a distinct feature of 'Linda Pope'.

This is a pretty good photo of what looks to me to be true to name:

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+1004+0019

Hi Martin,

There's an alternative picture here taken by Terry Mitchell and he is a very experienced Primula and Auricula grower and knows his plants.

http://www.auriculas.org.uk/primula_linda_pope.htm

[Martin Baxendale]

Yes, David, Terry's plant looks right too. The very strong, widely spaced toothing of the foliage is very characteristic of Linda Pope. I don't think there's another marginata type with foliage quite like it.

Chris, your plant isn't White Lady (syn. White Linda Pope) which looks just like a white version of the Linda Pope plants in the photos David and I have posted links to, with marginata type flowers in umbels on quite tall scapes. Yours looks like a typical (and very nice) white cross between allionii and Linda Pope, of which there are quite a few with various cultivar names.

[ChrisB]

Thanks Martin.  I'll keep it labelled exactly as it is right now then.  It never was labelled white lady.
David sry for confusion I've got one plant only.  I'll ask her about it tomorrow...

[Roma]

Primula x loiseleurii 'Lismore Yellow'
Primula allionii x ' Blairside Yellow'  oops should be Old Red Dusty Miller
Primula allionii 'Snowflake'

[Roma]

I usually discard pinkish primrose hybrids but I like this one.  It has grown into a big plant without going back and is covered in flowers every year.
A seedling
Primula marginata - a self sown seedling two or three generations from Inshriach form

[ChrisB]

Yes Roma I agree it's quite jolly.  I'm like you on the whole don't like washy washy pink mixed with yellows. 

[arisaema]

Primula moupinensis on Xiling Xueshan, saw thousands as usual, but the pure white ones caught my eye.

[Susan Band]

The colour variation of P. Moupinense is lovely. Cluny gardens had some flowering the other day but only the purple, John usually grows from seed but he didn't have any variation in colour. Will you be back to collect seed later in the year?
Susan