Primula April 2007

[johanneshoeller]

New Month, new page! Maggi

The next Primulas. The nameless Primulas are my own hybrids (hirsuta, villosa, auricula). All Primulas are grown from (my own) seed.

Hans

[johanneshoeller]

The second run

Hans

[David Nicholson]

Lovely plants Hans. Do you make specific crosses or let the bees do the work?

[David Nicholson]

Here are pictures of:-

 a young plant of Primula allionii "Nightingale" which I thought I had lost back in the dim and dank days of November but since then it has improved a lot.

the double Auricula "Lincoln Sparkler" which was bred by Derek Salt in Lincolnshire. Derek concentrates on breeding Doubles and two years ago was kind enough to give me a couple. Lincoln Sparkler seems to suit my "cultivation techniques"! wheras the other one "Fred Booley" seems to be a bit timid in flowering for me.

 

[SueG]

Hi David
Is Lincoln Sparkler scented? I used to have something similar which had a stunning scent. I got a double dark purple auricula at the Hexham show from Timpany Nursery - will take it's pic when it opens.
Sue

[Armin]

The second run

Hans

Hans, beautiful species and cultivars. Like them all.

[David Nicholson]

Hi David
Is Lincoln Sparkler scented? I used to have something similar which had a stunning scent. I got a double dark purple auricula at the Hexham show from Timpany Nursery - will take it's pic when it opens.
Sue

Sue, yes it has a slight scent.

[David Nicholson]

Here a few pictures from the greenhouse today.

The first is a young plant of Primula "Aire Waves", a Peter Lister cross of a white P. allionii form and Auricula "Blairside Yellow". Aire Waves seems to be a very popular Show plant this year and to my mind a well grown clone of it is better than P. "Broadwell Milkmaid".

The second is one of my Alpine Auricula seedlings grown from open pollinated seed. Again it is not good enough for showing but will be perfectly acceptable in the garden.

The third is one of my Self seedlings (code 09 04 07) a nice dark red flowering for the first time this year. Well worth growing on and I will see what it is like next year.

The fourth is a Blue Self "Remus". The original plant was bred in the early 1960's and has always been a good offset producer.

The fifth is another of my Alpine Auricula seedlings (code 09 04 03) a nice light red and looks to have reasonable form. The pips have only just opened and if they flatten a bit this one could well be worth keeping.

The sixth a young plant of Primula marginata "Dwarf Form". Provided that I can keep it through the Summer and next Winter this one should look good next year.

Yesterday I posted a picture of Primula allionii "Nightingale" but I have found out that "Nightingale" is a hybrid and not a form of the Species.

 

[hadacekf]

David, Beautiful plants and photographs, enjoyed them!
I like the information. Thanks

[johanneshoeller]

David, I let the bees do the work and some seeds are wild collected.

Hans

[Maggi Young]

At the moment the milkmaid is everywhere, and Aire Waves is popular too, and I agree it can be a stunner. I am fond of P. 'Aire Mist', another good plant which was very popular a year or two ago, but I haven't seen it this year, yet, at the shows.

[Maggi Young]

Look at the size of this flower : it is from a display of Primula polyanthus  in a planter outside the local library, I pinched it last night when out with Lily to take home to measure because it looked so big!


Approx. 75mm .....that's about three inches across in my language.
These polyanthus types do make a good display at this time of year.

[Armin]

David, very nice pictures & background info. Tks.

Maggi, this polyantha flower is a "monster".
Maybe nice under glass but certainly not very resistive against rain in the garden.
I don't like those "oversizes" so much.

[Maggi Young]

Armin, the giant polyanthus are outside, in raised planters provided by the local council to decorate the area at the entrance to the library. Actually, these giant flowers are very popular for this purpose and are also available in many shops to buy. If they survive in the garden, which many do, after a few years the flowers seem to get a bit smaller, but they stand quite well against the weather. Ian's Mother has quite a lot of these in her garden and they bloom well for her. I have  some of the smaller flowered types, and some like the x juliae varietites that I have in troughs under the front eaves of the house, but I would not have the giant ones, they are too false looking! There is no denying the planters at the library look very cheerful, though!

[Armin]

Maggi, thank you - I still don't like them

Nurseries are full of them - polyantha & acaulis mosters. People decorate their graves here - one rainfall or late frost and they fall over and wilt. 
And, my mother in law just recently presented me some which she kept a few weeks behind the window and recognised lately they were full of aphids and flies...they make good compost now