More Primula

Category: Garden | Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:25 am

I went out and bought primroses for inside yesterday. They have a wonderful fragrance and cheery colours, and they remind me of spring. I've posted some of my spring flowering Primula before, but I've also got some that flower later in spring, in summer and early autumn.

The Primula must be made for our climate. They love the wet, fairly cold weather and the humus-rich soil. They sulk if given the wrong conditions. On a hot afternoon, they are a sorry sight, leaves lying flat on the ground and flower heads drooping. I divide them every three-four years and keep them where I can see and smell them.

This is one of the early ones. It started as an indoor plant:

This is a tiny thing called "Johanne". I've nearly lost it several times, but have so far managed to save one rosette or two:

These Primula japonica grow in my mother's garden, and bloom in June:

Also June-flowering, rather tall ones:

Primula sieboldii has hairy leaves and a good variety of colour. White, whitish pink, pink, pale blue and lavender:

The Primula vialii looks a bit strange with the red buds and lavender flowers. It starts flowering in June and keeps at it for a month or so. It likes me, and has self-seeded:

This is a white Primula alpicola which flowers in June/July:

The Primula florinda is the latest and longest bloomer of them all. It starts in June/July, and keeps at it through August and some years to September. It's fairly tall, about 50 cm, and loves moisture. I've got yellow, orange and red.

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Sjoerd wrote on Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:11 am:

Great stuff, Droopy. I only grow one primula--the vialli one. I find the contrasting colours so lovely and unique for a primula.
All of the foto's show such beautiful plants. I actually haqve very few winter-early spring bloomers because I'm not in the lottie often enough to enjoy them. When I am there, I'm working like mad.
Thanks for blogging these pics. They are really nice to look at.

eileen wrote on Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:52 am:

Droopy you and I share a love of primroses and primulas. I have the Primula vialii in my garden and love the red and purple together. I don't grow many of the tallers ones here as our winds tend to tear them up by the roots but I have soooo many of the low growing ones outdoors now that I've lost count.

diene wrote on Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:17 pm:

Droopy;
I am unfamiliar with the primula, I have a few of the primrose. I have conditions that I believe would favor these in my back yard. I may have to try them this year. Hopefully they are available locally. Thanks for sharing. diene

toni wrote on Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:41 pm:

Gorgeous flowers Droopy.
I have seen the Primula vialii in the Sringhill Nursery catalog under the name Poker Primrose. Every year I consider ordering and finally have it on the order form this year, I love the red and purple together.

petunia wrote on Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:22 pm:

lovely flowers Droopy. I just might have to take a try at a primrose this year. Thanks for sharing.

Droopy wrote on Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:23 pm:

Thank you all. If I have managed to persuade some of you to try the Primula, I'm satisfied.

I'm always on the look-out for ones I haven't got, and I enjoy myself when visitors ask about the lovely blooms and I tell them they're primroses. Most people around here believe they are small spring bloomers only. Unfortunately the nurseries are very conservative, so they rarely take in candelabra primroses of any kind. I've seen both the vialii and florinda around now, so I hope more people will discover them. The fragrance alone is worth a few trials and errors.

dirt2diamonds wrote on Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:12 pm:

If they love shade, then I can't grow them and by the looks of the leaves, they enjoy a good drink and some shade. I love yours they are beautiful. Your garden results makes gardening worth the few set backs that I have. Thanks for the pics.

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