Primula April 2007

[David Nicholson]

A few more Auriculas from the greenhouse today:-

First another of my own seed raised Alpines under Code AS 09 04 02 with a Light Centre. This is not a good photograph so you will have to take my word for it that the petals shade from very dark blue to lighter shades on the margins. Well worth growing on to see what it is like next year.

And another, but this time a Gold Centre, under code AS 09 04 10. This has very good form and the petals are well shaded, and should flatten out well. Again, well worth persevering with.

'C W Needham'- A Light Centred Alpine originally bred in 1934 (before my time Maggi!). The petal colour tends to vary depending upon the amounts of shading and feeding the plant has had.

'Lee Paul'- A Gold Centred Alpine originally bred by Derek Telford in Huddersfield in the late 1980's. This is probably the best plant I have in my collection at the moment. It has lovely form and perfectly flat petals and if I can keep it through the Summer and next Winter and get it to provide at least five pips-then I have a Show plant.

'Sandra'- A Light Centred Alpine originally bred by Hal Cohen in 1973. The pips were a little immature today but they should flatten nicely.

'Tomboy'- a Yellow Self raised by one of the doyens of Auricula breeders, Tim Coop, in 1980 from a 'Moonglow' and 'Helen' cross. Always a fairly late flowerer, indeed last year it didn't flower at for me.

[mark smyth]

here is what I used to own way back maybe 6 years or more
http://www.marksgardenplants.com/auriculas.htm

[David Nicholson]

Don't you have any now?

[David Nicholson]

Some pictures of perhaps the last couple of Primulas to flower in my greenhouse. Odd really because last year they were amongst the first and I thought I was going to miss out this year.

The first couple are of Primula 'Stradbrook Cheryl' a nice white but a very slow grower.

The second pair are of a plant I bought as Primula 'Linda Pope', it obviously isn't so I have to think that it is 'White Linda Pope', it does have a tell-tale pinky/lilac flush on the petals that doesn't show to well on the pictures.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Very nice whites David !

[Martin Baxendale]

David, as you seem to be involved in auricula and primrose growing cirlces, can you recommend any good nurseries for old-fashioned primroses and polyanthus? I'm trying to get hold of various old juliae (pruhonica) types that I used to grow years ago, so I can do some more hybridising (had some good results in the past before a series of drought summers). I would especially like to track down (if it still exists) the old polyanthus Barrowby Gem. It was a real beauty, gorgeous scent. But I suspect it may no longer be with us. The main suppliers, Rogers of Pickering in Yorks, lost it through vine weevil attacks some years ago.

[David Nicholson]

Martin, I think some of the old varieties do exist, but rarely in Nurseries. They are often in private collections and it is surprising that quite often when they do surface they are found in Ireland.

I'm not sure whether Paddy follows this thread but it might just be worthwhile dropping him a mail on the off chance that he knows someone who might be helpful.

As far as the UK is concerned Fieldhouse Nursery, Leake Road,Gotham,Nottinghamshire,NG11 0JN tel 0115 9830278 may be worth a call. Valerie Woolley is the owner, she is very well known and respected in the Primula world and she has a wide range of contacts. She does do a modern Juliana version, originally from Jellito seed called the Bergfruhling Strain-I posted a picture of one of mine in the early part of the Primula thread.

If you like I would be perfectly happy to post something to the Yahoo Primula Group just to see if anything of use turns up?

Sorry I can't be of more help.

[mark smyth]

David I keep forgetting to take a photo of my new ?latifolia. It does look very similar to an auricula leaf.

This is the most difficult flower to photograph. Not one is sharp focus due possibly to the shape of the flower head
P. muscarioides

I need to divide my cowslips. Do I lift the whole clump after flowering and pull it apart into single nosed plants and replant?

[David Nicholson]

Mark, the 'real' latifolia doesn't have a leaf like an Auricula, I think yours is likely to be a Primula x pubescens but nevertheless a very pretty plant.

I like your P. muscarioides, is it potted and under glass?

Cowslip splitting:-  depends on the weather and where you grow them. If you have them somewhere in heavy shade and moist then they should be OK. In my garden I would leave them until late August/early September when it's a bit cooler. 23C here this afternoon.

[Martin Baxendale]

Thanks David. I have located some of the old primrose varieties I used to grow and that I used for crossing in the past, but there are a lot that just don't seem to be around any more. I'll try Valerie Wooley. My mother used to grow a couple of dozen double primroses and twice that many different singles, jack-in-the-greens, hose-in-hose etc. Them was the days!

[David Nicholson]

Thanks David. I have located some of the old primrose varieties I used to grow and that I used for crossing in the past, but there are a lot that just don't seem to be around any more. I'll try Valerie Wooley. My mother used to grow a couple of dozen double primroses and twice that many different singles, jack-in-the-greens, hose-in-hose etc. Them was the days!

Martin, there is a grower, called Dr Margaret Webster, who specialises in breeding hose-in-hose, jack in the green and other 'odd balls' of the primrose world who I think is based in Somerset. I don't know her personally and have only seen some of her plants at Shows. She is a Botanist or other plant scientist, but it could well be that she has used some of the very old varieties in her breeding programmes. If you are contacting Val Wooley she may know if Dr Webster sells plants and how to contact her. If she doesn't please come back to me as there is one other person I have just thought of who might be worth contacting.

[David Nicholson]

A few more Auriculas from the greenhouse (not many left to flower now!)


The first is 'Divint Dunch' a light centred Alpine with some very good form. The original plant was bred by Derek Telford of Huddersfield in 1980. Derek Telford is a 'Geordie' by birth (ie from the North Eastern part of England around Newcastle-upon-Tyne) and roughly translated from the Geordie dialect Divint Dunch means 'don't push!'

The next is another of my seed grown plants flowering for the first time this year under code AS 09 04 08. A nice Alpine Gold Centre with some nice flat petals and a good leaf form. Well worth keeping for next year.

The third is 'Barbarella' a Dark Self originally bred by Peter Ward in 1980. The parents were 'Pat' and ('Rosalind' x 'The Mikado'). Barbarella has won lots of prizes in the past but if I aspire to do so I will need to grow it much better than I have grown this speciman.

Fourth is a very good Red Self 'Scorcher' a clone given to me last year by Henry Pugh an eminent Auricula grower and breeder. Scorcher is a regular prize winner and is the best Self in my collection at present.

Fifth one of my seed grown Selfs flowering for the first time under code SS 09 04 03. A rather nice Dark Self with a good form. Next year I must be more careful with this one and try to get a more circular ring of paste. Well worth keeping.

Sixth another of my seed grown Alines flowering for the first time. Alpine Auriculas can have either a Light or a Gold Centre- this is an oddball it has both and I should really throw it out. But I can hazard a guess that if you look at my garden next Spring this plant will be in it!!

Lastly a plant I bought last year 'Eden Blue Star' which is a garden or Border Auricula. It was too small to plant out last Autumn so it has been grown under glass but will be planted out in Autumn. Note the rogue petal-I shall be interested to see if this is present next year.

 

[mark smyth]

The black and red selfs look great

My cowslips are in full sun so I'll have to wait or do it when the annuals grow which will shade them

P. muscarioides is only new two weeks ago but needs to be in part shade