Primula April 2009

[Giles]

FANTASTIC Pete.
Midlands petiolarid growers fight back.
WE MUST DISPEL THE MYTH THAT THESE THINGS ARE NOT POSSIBLE.
LONG LIVE THE REOLUTION!!!!!!

[Maggi Young]

Or even the ReVolution 
I think you have got a good scheme at your place , Giles, to utilise your "primula alley"..... that will funnel cool air, and keep 'em shaded..... I would hope you'll have continued success with it.
Even here, in what feels again today like the frozen north, we are not having as much success with the asiatic primulas as we once enjoyed   

[Giles]

P.clusiana
P.villosa infecta
P.pedemontana

[ranunculus]

Some super show plants in the making there Giles!

[Ragged Robin]

A few more Primulas from the greenhouse today.

The first couple are of Primula auricula. Last year Hans Hoeller in Austria sent me a batch of cuttings from the wild Primulas he grows, (thank you Hans), and these are the first two to flower. I always think that the colour of Primula auricula takes a lot of beating in the plant world.

These Primula auricula are so incredibly beautiful David and I'm wondering if they would grow here in my raised bed where I can create the conditions they like?  I grew auricula in pots for many years but never in the ground before.  Can you advise me?[/quote]

Next is a primula allionii hybrid 'Wharfedale Crusader'

Primula marginata 'White Linda Pope' nowadays seems to be called 'White Lady'. This one I originally bought as the proper 'Linda Pope'!

This one is the real Primula marginata 'Linda Pope' which some would say is a hybrid.

To finish Primula allionii x 'Aire Mist'. I'm fairly certain there is a botanical name for this particular plant but I can't find it.

As a grower of lots of Primula cultivars it is becoming more and more difficult to keep track of whether plants are, for example, marginata selections or marginata hybrids and it is just the same in the case of Primula allionii. Room for a new book here someone.

wild primroses grow well here at this height and in a wild part of our garden they are beginning to establish now the building has stopped!

[ranunculus]

Hi Robin,
Primula auricula should do exceptionally well for you in your mountain setting - we have seen it thriving in the Bernese Oberland and, especially, on high exposed ridges in the Dolomites.  A beautiful 'true' alpine of great merit.

[Ragged Robin]

Thanks Cliff - I'm really pleased!   They are some of my favourite plants and it's good to know they would like it here!  I'm slowly coming to grips with what will be happy in this environment and can see what will work in different parts of my mountain garden. 

I have been through your photographic journals of the Dolomite trips in SRGC and the landscape is a stunning setting for the alpine plants

[johanneshoeller]

Due to the warm weather (24°C) the first Primulas have started to flower.
All plants are grown from wild collected seed or are nameless hybrids from my garden.
7077 shows a dwarf form of spectabilis.

[johanneshoeller]

Some pics more. The last 2 pics show clusiana.

[Giles]

Nice!!!!

[Ragged Robin]

Just gorgeous - against the grey of the rock the colour of the clusiana is beautiful - how long until they flowered from wild seed, Hans?

[johanneshoeller]

To grow P. clusiana from seed is a little more difficult (compare auricula, allionii or hirsuta). They are growing very slowly and it takes time 3 (or 4) years until they will flower in my garden where I have very alpine conditions. Hirsuta, auricula,... will flower after 2 years.
Enclosed 2 pics of seedlings 2007 (these flowered in September 2008 and then in April 2009 - see pics).

[Tony Willis]

A couple of mine in flower both from Switzerland seed from 2001

Primula villosa a little slug eaten
Primula auricula

[WimB]

Some primula's in flower in my garden:

Primula auricula 'Dale's red'
Primula auricula 'Dusky Yellow'
Primula auricula 'Rajah'
Primula rosea 'Grandiflora'

[Giles]

....and a primula from the other side of the world (Japan).
P.kisoana alba.