Primula 2010

[Lesley Cox]

Here is the same primula a week later, this sent to me by my friend Louise Salmond in whose tender care it resides.

[Maggi Young]

A little gem, Lesley. I am very fond of these primulas.... wollostonii, reidii, (the horribly named....) flaccida (I much prefer "nutans"  all of these dusty little pets.... if only they now  grew as well in our garden as they did thirty years ago, or even 20 years ago....there are so few of the family at all that will enjoy life here now that the summers are warmer. 

[johnw]

An exquisite beauty Lesley.  What a gift!   

johnw

[Carlo]

My fav of the moment is P. kisoana.... It's blooming a little early here but loving its spot. There are dozens of soft-pink flowers on the mother plant, and, best of all, a couple of dozen little plants scattered hither and yon, some blooming (in a much quieter way) in their first above-ground appearance!

[Maggi Young]

My fav of the moment is P. kisoana.... It's blooming a little early here but loving its spot. There are dozens of soft-pink flowers on the mother plant, and, best of all, a couple of dozen little plants scattered hither and yon, some blooming (in a much quieter way) in their first above-ground appearance!

Now, isn't that exactly what brings a spring to our step and a big smile to our face..... little plants that are so eager to flower and delight us? Makes it all the easier to endure the long years that are sometimes neccessary to wait for blooming in some plants and bulbs 

[Armin]

Thanks for all the wunderful primula photos.

Some early primulas from my garden.
P. vulgaris var. pulchella...more whitish compared to P.vulgaris. I've no record if this 'var. pulchella' is correct. Any comments?
P. veris...likes calcareous soil and dryish, sunny place
P. elatior...grows in shadow in moist loamy soil
P. elatior hybrids...likely hybrids with P.vulgaris or P.veris, showing larger flat flowers
P. auricula...still in bud stage; beautiful and absolutely hardy.
P. x pubescens 'Blue Wave'...a phantastic color, still small plant. I love it! A special thank you to the generously donator

[Ragged Robin]

Really wonderful to see Primula in gardens from the simple to the exotic...just saying "Spring", thanks everyone.

Armin it's a great help to have the information you provide on preferred soil and conditions - your P. x pubescens 'Blue Wave' is just stunning 

[David Nicholson]

Lovely show Armin

[ChrisB]

Lesley,  I am growing P. wollestonii, and the foliage is looking ok so far.  I really want to flower it if possible, so if your friend could tell me what I need to do, I'd be most grateful.  At the moment I'm pouring water over it a couple of times a day and it does seem to be responding to that treatment very well.

[Armin]

Really wonderful to see Primula in gardens from the simple to the exotic...just saying "Spring", thanks everyone.
Armin it's a great help to have the information you provide on preferred soil and conditions - your P. x pubescens 'Blue Wave' is just stunning 

Robin,
yes 'Blue Wave' has a fascinating deep blue- extraordinary contrast.
In the Swiss there are now many places with masses of P. vulgaris (in meadows) and P.elatior (in forests).
Their flowers perform magic yellow carpets with marvelous displays.
Have you found and seen some already?

[Ragged Robin]

Yes Armin, there are lots of Primula vulgaris around chalets on South East facing slopes but not really in the meadows locally     and i haven't seen Primula elatior in forests here but they must be in the area. I'm trying to encourage both in our 'meadow' and 'forest' corner around the chalet 

[Lesley Cox]

Chris, I don't know that you have to do anything except make sure it is cool and shaded at all times, damp compost. It won't like direct sun or drying out at all. JUst a matter of waiting I think until it's ready to flower. If it died down over this last winter and is through again, it may well flower or begin to make a bud down in the rosette, very soon. It is after all spring flowering, not autumn and the one on Louise's plant is an aberration but very welcome of course. Keep it free of green fly too as they tend to distort the foliage and may allow virus in.

P. wollastonii has a very pleasant trait in that when it is planted out and one lightly weeds around it, any root that is hit and slightly damaged, may send up a new, little rosette of growth. I grew it in the early 80s in a cool, shaded raised bed and had little lines of rosettes from where I'd weeded around it. If one were to trim off whole roots they should make successful root cuttings.

[ChrisB]

Hi Lesley,

Wow, if I had to courage to just plant it in the garden.... right now its being totally cossetted!  Here it is, looking very healthy.  Yes, the foliage died right off last autumn and now its nose has sprouted with this lovely foliage.  I got it from John Richards and the name has a question mark after it, so if it flowers I'll send a pic to him to see if it really is what it says on the packet. 

[ChrisB]

Here are a few primulas I've managed to bloom:

Primula auricula 'Spring Sonnet'
Primula allionii
Primula clusiana (plant purchased from Margaret Taylor at an AGM three years ago)
Primula xhirsuta (there is no sign of hairs on the leaves of this plant, so I'm not sure if it is correctly named)

[Ragged Robin]

Chris, your Primula auricula 'Spring Sonnet' is very striking and what a photo you have taken 

A great collection altogether