Primula 2010

[Kristl Walek]

I am *very* interested in primula, and starting a brand new garden after a move. The only species that fit into the moving truck were the allioni, marginata and auricula. I am trying to start the remainder of the former collection again from seed.

As I also have no greenhouse or other proper growing space on my new property, some 100+ species of primula seedlings are presently perched here there and everywhere in the house, awaiting spring, so I can work with them better somewhere outdoors, once I construct a proper potting bench in a corner.

As I will still have a year to think about it, considering the stage of the seedlings, I would appreciate some ideas/input from those of you who grow large collections of the genus IN THE OPEN GARDEN.

Obviously the alpine sorts can find homes in the rock garden and many can go into a woodland setting.
Now that I no longer have naturally moist/wet areas as I did in Ontario, I am contemplating the species that would like consistent moisure at their roots. I am also thinking about some the challenging Asian species and where I might be able to keep them happy.

I realize this is a very open-ended, general question with such a large genus---but I am trying to find some unique ideas (back in Ontario I was at the start of building a "fernery" to house some of the difficult to grow in the garden ferns, grew some specific primula in troughs with specialized growing material etc). I am thinking about some of the "Cypripedium areas" that others have built, or digging in a moisture-retentive barrier....etc. etc.

The only given is that the collection has to be open-grown.

Who has seen some interesting solutions? Or has solved some primula cultivation problems in a unique way, so that a number of species requiring similar conditions can be grown together????

[Mark Griffiths]

A few more P.allionii, hopefully is this order.

P.a "Mary Berry"

P.a. 81-19-3

P.a. Malcolm

P.a "Austin"

and finally a seedling I raised, though it might be a hybrid. It always reminds me of a slightly faded fabric but I still like it.

[David Nicholson]

Re: Primula allionii 'Mary Berry' thanks to Maggi, John and Mark for feedback. If John's plant is "right" then neither of my two plants are correct nor is Marks. I had a bit of a Google to see if I could come up with anything else and pinched this from Jim Almond's Web Site (hope he doesn't mind).

[David Nicholson]

Lots of delightful Primula pics over the last few days folks.

I though Primula addicts might like to see the following couple of images I took from the South West AGS Show last Saturday. Dave Philbey, who in his growing career, stretching back many years, has probably forgotten more about Primulas then most of us will ever learn mounted a display of some of his breeding work.

[Mark Griffiths]

Personally I can't see any difference in John's, mine or Jim Almond's. The colour isn't quite right in my pic but to me they look more or less the same. Mine came from Brian Burrow "back in the day".

[ruweiss]

The Primulas in the Alpine house are now at their best.
I got the x miniera Riesenblüte from the Stopp nursery and
it is truly a giant flower!
In our meadow garden P.vulgaris starts to spread all over the
meadow, we began with a few plants from Zigana Pass from
North Eastern Turkey about 20 years ago.They also crossed
themself with the other P.vulgaris.


 

[David Nicholson]

Lovely show Rudi.

[Tony Willis]

Lovely plants Rudi,I have the vulgaris/sibthorpii types self seeding all over the garden.

Here is Primula kialensis from China

[David Nicholson]

That is very nice Tony, grown from seed?

[Tony Willis]

David

I was given four small plants on a visit to Germany. I gave one away to a friend.Mine turned out to be pins and he had the only thrum which died! I am trying for seed but do not hold out much hope.

[Ragged Robin]

Lovely Primula in your Alpine House Rudi and those in your meadow look wonderful too 

[Rodger Whitlock]

At our local club's show last week, I acquired a small offset of Primula × pruhoniciana 'Schneeweiss' aka 'Snow White', one of the Ahrends hybrids.  The exhibitor was kind enough to give me one of the crowns at the end of the show, which makes three of these cultivars now in my possession (with the proviso that I have to take the names on faith).

This incident led to our other primula enthusiasts mentioning that at one time she had 'Schneekissen' and may still have it. If she can find it and there's enough to share, that would make a fourth of the Ahrends 'Schnee' cultivars to come into my hands.

This are excellent little primulas. They are nearly as dwarf as their parent Primula juliae, with the same tendency to creep about by rather thick underground rhizomes. As far as I know, their flowers are all white or near-white. The ones I have are all a pale ivory color, which I greatly prefer to a dead bone white.

As has been mentioned in these forums before, I've had 'Schneesturm' (Snowstorm) and 'Schneetreiben' (Snowdrift) in the garden for many years. Snowstorm has performed very well and gradually spread into a mat that is, as I write, covered in flowers. Snowdrift, planted in the same area, never did well, barely hanging on to life. It seems to be a weaker plant than Snowstorm in all respects. I've moved some of Snowdrift to a location where other hybrids of P. juliae do well, and potted some up, but neither of these treatments has invigorated the plant. Possibly it's become badly virused with age and thereby weakened. According to Smith, Burrow, and Lowe's Primulas of Europe and America, Ahrends was working on his hybrids of P. juliae as early as 1913, so these are now very old cultivars

The only cultivar names I've found for members of this specific group are:

    * Schneekissen (Snow Cushion)
    * Schneereisin (Snow Journey or Snow Travel)
    * Schneetreiben (Snowdrift)
    * Schneewittchen (Snow Witch?)
    * Schneesturm (Snowstorm)
    * Schneeweiss (Snow White)


Does anyone know of other members of this small group of cultivars?

Also, who is growing these, and where are they available commercially? Google and the Plant Finder reveal that Schneekissen is available in the UK, and Schneesturm in Germany, but what about the rest? As a group, they are nearly out of cultivation, perhaps having weakened fatally with age. It would be a shame for these charming plants to utterly disappear.

[ruweiss]

Thank you all for the kind comments

[johanneshoeller]

Primula clusiana and spectabilis in my garden.

[Lesley Cox]

Lovely to see primulas again, and there have been so many super plants on the Show threads.

This one is way out of season because it is in the southern hemisphere. It is one of two seedlings I gave to a nursery friend. Mine are about the same size but not in bud, probably not until OUR spring. It is the soldanelloid Primula wollastonii.


Now I look at it, it's a really awful picture. I should have focused on the flower instead of mid stem. Louise might send me a better one when it's fully out. She gave me P. primulina in exchange.