March 2007

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Teco's outside Thomas ? - any special treatment ?

[Thomas Huber]

No special treatments, Luc. But I've planted it near a tree to
protect it from rain falls!

[Gerdk]

Dear Thomas,
Maybe you got the real thing although it can have more than a single flower, but a strikingly yellow eye is noted. Primula elliptica Royle comes from Cashmere (Köhlein: Primeln).
Best wishes
Gerd

[Thomas Huber]

Thanks Gerd - I have some more plants with lots of flowers, but only in buds.

[David Nicholson]

Looks like Primula elliptica Thomas. I have looked at "Primula" by John Richards who says "......never mealy and with a distinct, long, narrowly winged whitish leaf stalk, an elliptical blade, and a loose, somewhat one sided umbel of 2-7 violet, blue or purple, slightly funnel-shaped exanulate flowers with a golden eye. Flowers May in the garden,July-August in the field." As far as cultivation is concerned he says ""Limited experience suggests that this is one less amenable members of the section in cultivation, as it is short lived, rarely sets seed, and offers little opportunity for vegetative propogation. It probably succeeds best in cool, well drained, but moisture retentive media with winter cover"

Hope this helps.

[Brian Ellis]

Can anyone put a name to this unknown primula please?  It was a present without a name or place of origin and the person who gave it to me has no idea!  It is slow to increase and is a particular favourite.  I look to your erudition!
Thanks, Brian

[Thomas Huber]

Thanks for the effort, David! So far I can say, that my plant seems NOT to require
winter cover! It survived the last wet winter without any protection! Let's wait
and see, what the next years show.

Brian, no idea for your wonderful dark plant - but I'm not the Primula expert here 

[Martin Baxendale]

Brian, the dark primula looks like a Barnhaven Cowichan type polyanthus/primrose. Try this link to the Barnhaven nursery and take a look at the dark-flowered Cowichan forms there. They're mostly raised from seed as strains, I think, so probably not a named variety. Very nice plant.

http://www.barnhavenprimroses.com

[Martin Baxendale]

Brian, I should have said that one of the features of the Barnhaven Cowichans primroses is that they tend to be dark flowered with little or no central pale eye.

[Maggi Young]

Here is a link to a photo, ( from an article elswhere on this site) of Primula elliptica taken in the wild by Henry Taylor:  http://www.srgc.org.uk/journal/taylor/primelip.htm

I'm sure I have seen a really dark primula like yours, David. Just have to remember where! Barry Glick in USA has a similar variety, though a brighter red, called 'Vivid'.

[Brian Ellis]

Martin, thank you for the Barnhaven link, it certainly looks as though it could be one of the dark garnet seedstrain.  I am glad to be able to put a possible source to it, I shall ring her up and ask if Barnhaven sounds familiar!  Sadly I was unaware of this source of seed   I shall have to investigate further.  Cheers, Brian

[Maggi Young]

Re Brian's dark primrose: I remember where I most recently saw a pretty dark form.... right outside my front door!! Photo doesn't get the colour quite right, it is a little darker... not that any of this helps Brian, I have no name for this one , either !

Note bronze new foliage, also chewed leaves ! Pink granite blocks on front of house are pretty, though, aren't they!!

[Martin Baxendale]

Maggi, your primrose looks like a 'Juliana' type. About 15 years ago I raised loads of interesting seedlings by crossing old juliaeX varieties like Wanda, Blue Riband, etc. But I lost them all to a series of hot drought summers here at the new house on a south facing hillside with little shade.

Wouldn't mind trying it again if I knew of a good source of those old juliae hybrids. Anyone got any suggestions?

I'd also like a good mail order source for P. sibthorpii, which I used a lot in those crosses (either the old garden form or the more recent Turkish introductions) if anyone can suggest a nursery.

Maybe I should also put this in the plants wanted thread.

[Maggi Young]

Martin, you should have been in Aberdeen on Tuesday evening for our Group  meeting: a talk on Northern Turkey by Michael Almond.. wonderful ! In particular there were acres of Primula sibthorpii looking truly delightful!

[Martin Baxendale]

Maggi, Primula sibthorpii used to grow really well for me. It's a superb plant. I had drifts of it in the garden until those hot summers and a plague of vine weevils did for them all. I have a lot more shade and more woodlandy soil now, so really would like to find a good source. You used to see it for sale all over the place.