Primula 2010

[TheOnionMan]

Primula kisoana is an "easy doer", although can flag when too dry (which it often does in my dryish garden).  I try to hit it with water in the summer, to keep the fuzzy foliage looking its best.

[Lori S.]

From Rick Lupp's website for Mt. Tahoma Nursery:
"Primula "Pink Ice" is a vigorous hybrid of P.allionii x p.pubscens "Harlow Carr". This is the perfect choice for the grower who wants the perfection of form and beauty of P.allionii without all the difficulties. This plant is compact, strong growing and buried under a bloom of large, crystalline pink flowers for several weeks in spring. Not to be confused with the P.allionii cultivar "Pink Ice"."

Huh, now I'm thoroughly confused.
Any guesses on which this is then?  (In other words, is it P. 'Pink Ice', or is it P. 'Pink Ice'??   )

[Maggi Young]

I'd say it is this one, Lori....

."Primula "Pink Ice" is a vigorous hybrid of P.allionii x p.pubscens "Harlow Carr".

   I think the other willhave flowers which are more or less sessile and likely single. ( Well, dating maybe, but single!)

[TheOnionMan]

From Rick Lupp's website for Mt. Tahoma Nursery:
"Primula "Pink Ice" is a vigorous hybrid of P.allionii x p.pubscens "Harlow Carr". (snip).
Not to be confused with the P.allionii cultivar "Pink Ice"."

Brilliant!   The one that dies is the true allionii. 

[David Nicholson]

The allionii cultivar 'Pink Ice' is likely to have tacky (sticky) leaves whilst the hybrid 'Pink Ice probably doesn't. Note the use of the words "probably" and "likely"

[johanneshoeller]

Primula allionii - from France

[sippa]

Beautiful Hans, what is the name of the allionii?

[johanneshoeller]

Marianne,
this allionii is wild collected in France (a cutting)!

[johanneshoeller]

I am very frustrated now!
Although we have a lot of snow the mice have awaked last Friday and then they have eaten 3000 Primulas incl. the roots over night!! All Show Aurikulas - 500 plants, 500 Primula allionii and nearly all of my new young Alpine Primulas - 2000 plants and more than 100 different Androsace. So the work of the last 10 years was destroyed while some hours. Only the larger plants in my green houses have survived. They has eaten all Lilium seeds and all seeds of Daphnes, too, although the soil is frozen.

[Gail]

I am very frustrated now!

So sorry for your losses - it must be heartbreaking for you and rather puts my winter losses into perspective.

[sippa]

What a shame, it made me feel ill seeing your empty pots.

Marianne gardening in Vermont

[David Nicholson]

So sorry Hans.

[Rodger Whitlock]

The one that dies is the true allionii.

That's like the method used to distinguish Cyclamen africanum and C. hederifolium: leave them outside during the winter. The ones that freeze to death are (were) C. africanum.

Speaking of P. allioni: I grow all my auriculoid primulas in pumice and they seem to like the conditions. I keep them under cover at all times and water by immersing the pots. So far, so good. Come back in five years for a more definitive report.

In the open garden, the only primulas doing their thing here are the old double mauve-pink 'Quaker's Bonnet' and pale butter yellow Primula vulgaris, the ordinary primrose of English hedgerows and banks. It is a surprisingly difficult plant to acquire! If any member lives near a wild stand of P. vulgaris, they would be doing the world a favor to gather seed for the exchanges. Gardens need simple, calm plants as well as high-strung, nervous ones.

[ian mcenery]

I am very frustrated now!
Although we have a lot of snow the mice have awaked last Friday and then they have eaten 3000 Primulas incl. the roots over night!! All Show Aurikulas - 500 plants, 500 Primula allionii and nearly all of my new young Alpine Primulas - 2000 plants and more than 100 different Androsace. So the work of the last 10 years was destroyed while some hours. Only the larger plants in my green houses have survived. They has eaten all Lilium seeds and all seeds of Daphnes, too, although the soil is frozen.

So sorry to hear this news Hans it is awful and must be heartbreaking

[Armin]

Hans,
very regretable to hear you got so much damage on your collection.