Primula 2013

Submitted by AmyO on Sat, 03/09/2013 - 10:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that the American Primrose society seed exchange is now open to everyone! You don't have to be a member although we would love it if you did join! ;D
Find all the ordering info here http://www.americanprimrosesociety.org
There is still a large selection to choose from so get your orders in early!
Happy sowing & growing!!

Comments


Submitted by fleurbleue on Sun, 03/10/2013 - 12:19

Many thanks Amy, I have just ordered from them  ;)


Submitted by Toole on Sat, 03/16/2013 - 21:55

Hoy wrote:

Dave, a pretty Linum anyway! Hope the Primulas survive!

Here's one that is currently doing okay Trond. Admittedly it's a purchased plant that has only been in my possession for a week...... ;D ;D

Primula capitata.

Cheers Dave.


Submitted by AmyO on Sun, 03/17/2013 - 05:59

Toole wrote:

Here's one that is currently doing okay Trond. Admittedly it's a purchased plant that has only been in my possession for a week...... ;D ;D

Primula capitata.

I do love this one but I have a hard time keeping it! I plant them near my stream in part shade, but they never stick around for more than 2 seasons. :(


Submitted by Hoy on Sun, 03/17/2013 - 12:01

I had several last year but the very bad winter (dry and cold) has finished a lot of them, I'm afraid  :(


Submitted by Cockcroft on Tue, 03/19/2013 - 16:15

Spring isn't officially here but the primulas are telling me it's close.
'Snow White'
'Freedom'
a Gold Lace
a Cowichan


Submitted by AmyO on Tue, 03/19/2013 - 19:05

They are so pretty Claire! And your Trillium next to your P. 'Snow White' is also looking gorgeous!


Submitted by Hoy on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 11:00

Claire, if this isn't spring, what then is spring?


Submitted by Cockcroft on Thu, 03/21/2013 - 11:37

The calendar spring arrived yesterday (March 20th), accompanied by the worst storm we've had this winter in terms of wind, rain, cold temperatures, and hail.  But anemones are pushing up, julie primulas are blooming, and in a couple of weeks (weather permitting) the garden will be wearing its spring garments.


Submitted by Hoy on Thu, 03/21/2013 - 15:21

Here the first day of spring is March 1st although much of the country still is snowcovered.


Submitted by Cockcroft on Fri, 03/22/2013 - 11:28

Snow flakes fell here overnight and this morning, but the ground is too warm for anything to stick.  Primulas are pretty tough characters and will come through the cooler temperatures without pausing.


Submitted by Cockcroft on Tue, 04/09/2013 - 20:19

More primulas are hitting their stride.
-- Primula denticulata
-- Primula elatior
-- Primula kisoana

It's interesting that I have both a pin and a thrum form of the pink P. kisoana.  The thrum form blooms earlier and is slightly darker than the pin form.  The white form that I have is a thrum and is blooming now too.


Submitted by Hoy on Wed, 04/10/2013 - 14:08

Nice! If I am lucky I will see my first primula in flower next week.


Submitted by deesen on Mon, 04/15/2013 - 13:01

I don't know if the smaller Primulas in Section Auriculastrum are popular, or indeed available, in the USA but in the UK and Ireland they are very popular indeed particularly within the "Showing" community. The ones I'm thinking of particularly are P. marginata, P. allionii and the hybrids of them, and P x pubescens. Many specialize in them, many think they all look the same and hate them. On the basis that a picture is worth a thousand words (Jimmy Webb thought so!) here are a few for you to consider.

Primula x pubescens 'Henry Hall'
P. 'Lindum Moonlight'
P. 'Lindum Wedgewood'

The Lindum series, probably allionii hybrids, were bred in Lincoln (England), Lindum being the Roman name for Lincoln.


Submitted by deesen on Mon, 04/15/2013 - 13:16

A few more:-

Primula 'Lindum Malcolms Mate'
P. marginata 'Drake's Blue'
P. allionii 'Jackie Richards'
P. allionii 'Stradbrook Variegated'
P. allionii 'Sapphire'


Submitted by deesen on Mon, 04/15/2013 - 13:20

... and yet more!

Primula 'Broadwell Milkmaid'
P. 'Eden Blue Star'  a border auricula-good in the open garden


Submitted by deesen on Mon, 04/15/2013 - 13:30

A few pics, of variable quality, of Primula vulgaris forms in my garden:-

P. 'Ingram's Blue'
P. juliae (bought as but isn't!)
P. 'Maisie Michael'
P. 'Snowcushion'

and to finish a selection of self sown hybrid Primroses from my garden to which my juliae but isn't has contributed greatly


Submitted by Toole on Thu, 04/18/2013 - 02:12

Nice bit of colour Claire and David.

Here's Primula maximowiczii from seed --flowering late it doesn't appear that it will form a longer stem---what a colour. :-* :-*

Cheers Dave


Submitted by Cockcroft on Thu, 04/18/2013 - 10:29

Wow!  I love that red of P. maximowiczii.  I have only flowered it once and the color didn't match yours.  I have a pot of seedlings and hopes for this year.


Submitted by Hoy on Thu, 04/18/2013 - 14:20

David, nice plants! Primula is one of my favorite genera!

Dave, that colour is magnifique!


Submitted by Hoy on Mon, 04/22/2013 - 11:12

Not the first one to show in the spring but definitely welcome! Although the frost has gone the warmth hasn't arrived so the plants develop rather slowly. It is possibly a Primula denticulata.


Submitted by Hoy on Sun, 05/05/2013 - 15:04

Not much has happened in the last weeks. Today we had the warmest "day" 55F! - it lasted about 3 hours with sun before the clouds came back. Some plants managed to open their flowers but none are very floriferous though.
Primula marginata, P. auricula and P minima alba.


Submitted by Cockcroft on Fri, 05/17/2013 - 19:28

Primula secundiflora, raised from my own saved seed.


Submitted by Lori S. on Fri, 05/17/2013 - 20:19

Absolutely gorgeous array of plants, David!
Primula maximowiczii is wonderful, Dave!  I grew it years ago and thought it was absolutely amazing.  
I don't have anything to compare to Claire's and Trond's but here is a curious one from the esteemed Pam Eveleigh at last year's CRAGS plant sale:
Primula palmata:

And a Primula allionii hybrid planted last year, 'Aire Mist':


Submitted by Cockcroft on Sat, 05/18/2013 - 10:59

Lucky for you to get P. palmata, Lori.  I saw it in Sechuan in 2007 and wished I had it!  It grew in damp pine woods and lit up the ground.


Submitted by Lori S. on Mon, 05/20/2013 - 21:22

Nothing to compare with that splendour here, unfortunately, Claire!  I'm so envious - I love candelabra primroses but have never had good results from them at all - too dry, too cold??  Yours are absolutely beautiful.

Primula scotica is amazingly tolerant of dry-ish conditions - I didn't expect that.  Here is a bunch on the edge of the tufa garden:

Primula x 'Wanda Red Shades'...or so it was said to be.  Hmm, I think it's another Primula elatior ssp. meyeri, no? Perhaps some tags got mixed up.

Primula elatior ssp. meyeri, going over:

Primula polyneura or one of those it is confused with, starting to bloom:

Primula rusbyi, on one of divisions I did a couple of years ago... whacking the old plant into chunks seems to have restored a bit of life, not an amazing amount though.


Submitted by Toole on Tue, 05/21/2013 - 02:52

Lori wrote:

Primula rusbyi on one of divisions I did a couple of years ago... whacking the old plant into chunks seems to have restored a bit of life, not an amazing amount though.

That's interesting Lori
My plant P.rusbyi,(I think i raised it from seed as P. ellisiae ?), has been in pot for a number of years now and flowered reqularly with a far amount of neglect in terms of feeding, however since it's repot of two years ago I haven't seen any flowers....
Maybe it needs a whacking as well  :-\  :)

Cheers Dave


Submitted by Lori S. on Sat, 06/01/2013 - 19:48

An update on the Primula rusbyi whacking... it does seem to have revitalized the divisions.  There is a blooming stalk on 3 divisions now.

Primula x juliana 'Allure":

Grown many years ago from seed that was said to be Primula polyneura... apparently more likely a hybrid with, or P. saxatilis?


Submitted by Mark McD on Sat, 06/01/2013 - 20:49

Seeing all of these lovely Primula, then recently attending (by chance) a Primula Society plant show at a local botanic garden, I'm realizing that I need much more than just two primula species in my garden, I need to work on that!  Years ago I grew P. ellisiae and rusbyi, in pots, and I miss them so.

Lori, your P. scotica look so strong, healthy, and deep colored, I've only managed a couple weak and expiring plants of this one.

David, does that eye-catching 'Ingram's Blue' have anything to do with Tim Ingram? It's a beautiful plant.


Submitted by Hoy on Sun, 06/23/2013 - 05:47

In reply to by Mark McD

An unknown Primula germinated where I hadn't sown any and I have no similar in any other pots either. Edit: Probably P munroi syn involucrata.


Trond, a lovely soft yellow color.  Your unknown blue one from the previous page is pretty too, but I'm not knowledgeable enough about primula to offer any suggestions.


Primula florindae started flowering a month ago.  This year is not as good a year as others have been, but there is still a nice selection of colors -- red, orange, bronze, and clear yellow.

A nice red form  Primula florindae  and an orange one.  Primula florindae

 

Primula florindae
Primula florindae