Primula 2010

[David Nicholson]

The first few Primulas of my season. I had been thinking that they were late this year but I see from my records that some I'm posting now were later last year by just a few days. Maybe my cultivation has not been as good as last year as the plants I won prizes with at the South West AGS Show last year (28 March 2009) will need at least another week (or two) to get to the same condition as last year and the Show in on Saturday. Oh well, can't win 'em all!!

Primula 'Blindsee'
P. 'Wharfedale Superb'
P. 'Lindum Heavenly'
P. 'Lindum Moonlight'

Then a couple of queries which the allionii growers on the Forum may be able to help with. I don't know why but I have two plants, both different, labelled Primula allionii 'Mary Berry', can any one tell me which is and what the other one is please?

P. allionii Mary Berry query1
"      "      "       "        "   2 

[Maggi Young]

David, I believe your second plant named Mary Berry is the proper colour, though the flowers look very large .... I wonder if the paler version is a seedling from your plant? I know that 'Mary Berry ' does set seed.

[Armin]

Beautiful primulas David,
'Blindsee' has such pure white color - an eye-catcher!

[Mark Griffiths]

hi, as Maggi says, the second plant looks more like "Mary Berry". The other one, not sure, it does look nice though. Maybe it's another named clone but the labels got mixed at the nursery?

I sowed seed from my Mary Berry, I think all were fairly dark though. I just label them as P.allionii, I passed some on but I kept a couple. I'll probably put up some pics over the weekend.

[johngennard]

I doubt that either of them is Mary Berry.Definetly not the paler one and I don't think the second one is red enough.If I get chance I will take a picture tomorrow.
Meantime  here are one or two that I took a couple of days ago.

Lindum Memories
Lindum Malcolm's Mate
Lindum Minuet

[David Nicholson]

I think all of the Lindum plants are very good John.

[Michael J Campbell]

Here is a primula hyb that I raised from allionii Avalanche and an unnamed seedling.
It is in a 16cm pot.

[Michael J Campbell]

Primula Joan hughes.

[partisangardener]

I hope this is the right place to ask. How would you treat Primula maximowizii?
At the moment they are in pots which are set into life sphagnum. I got them from china as roots. Now they are flowering. Do I have to work at them for pollinating?
There are four different plants flowering and I don't know if there are insects around which would do the job.

[Gerdk]

I hope this is the right place to ask. How would you treat Primula maximowizii?
At the moment they are in pots which are set into life sphagnum. I got them from china as roots. Now they are flowering. Do I have to work at them for pollinating?
There are four different plants flowering and I don't know if there are insects around which would do the job.

Axel,
You obtained a fine plant from these roots. Indeed a rare and attractive species.

It is told that they are completely hardy here. I suggest they need a cool place and please take care that they never get too dry.
For pollination at first have a look into the flowers. Primula have thrum-eyed and pin-eyed flowers (in German: kurz- und langgriffelige Blüten). Take a small brush and give the pollen of a thrum-eyed flower to a pin-eyed one (or vice versa).

Gerd

[partisangardener]

Thank you Gerd. They were kept in a greenhous at first. When I got them two weeks ago, I put them in this box with sphagnum. They liked it. Before they were kept more dry than I did, because there was some rotting material at the outer part.
They are very narrow I could not see whether they are thrum-eyed or pin-eyed. In some flowers there were quite a lot of pollen so I just kept going from one flower to another. I hope it helped.

[Gerdk]

Axel,
Please 'google' for thrum- and pin eyed primulas (pictures) and you'll easily note the difference.
Otherwise to pollinate like the way you described can't be wrong. I was told that at least the primula hybrids are not aware of the fertilisation rule.

Gerd

[partisangardener]

Thanks again Gerd I already did it. German was no success. But English was easy. I will look again with a magnifying glass.

[johngennard]

David,this is Mary Berry.

[Paddy Tobin]

Alex,

I am not particularly interested in primulas but your plant is absolutely fantastic.

Paddy