Appreciation: primroses and primulas

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by janetdoyle, Mar 12, 2011.

  1. janetdoyle

    janetdoyle Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Victoria [Saanich, actually, northeast of Victoria
    I find these such fun to play with this time of year -- some are returning to the garden, they are slow to re-bloom again in my cold-air holding garden in a kind of slight hollow below the street which collects cold air from the east and north winds but I have just inserted some more -- Primula 'Wanda' and Primula 'Acaulis' types from the labels. I don't know a great deal about them, I know there are tall primulas as well, these are the short ones. The 'Wandas' included a pure white, a very true sun yellow, and a wonderful coral-toned magenta I had never seen before. The 'Acaulis' types are brilliant orange/yellow with borders/stripes around the flowers... perhaps they are a bit of a common thing, a cliche [e-acute] owing to the numbers sold, but are there any enamored viewers here to would like to share enthusiasm for these gorgeous things?
     
  2. Hill60

    Hill60 Member

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    They are common but anything that brings colour at this time of year I think is great.

    I live north and inland from you and most years they don't come back. I end up buying them as an annual to have that spring look. We've been hammered with all the weather fronts and snow this past couple weeks. They make it feel like spring is just around the corner even when the weather doesn't.
     
  3. janetdoyle

    janetdoyle Active Member 10 Years

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    Victoria [Saanich, actually, northeast of Victoria
    The right micro-climate seems to bring some of them back -- if one only knew which ones; some of my dark-red, yellow-eyed tough old ones that were here before I was seem to recur and grow like weeds, really. I am hoping to have some of the more unusual ones return, but not too optimistic. My neighbour in a nearby townhouse has a slightly different micro-climate, her front patch is much sunnier during the day and not in the cold air trough mine is in, a narrow pathway for winds and a hollow catching the cold air... interestingly she has some lovely double whites and yellows that come back better than before each spring!
     
  4. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    The larger-parted, floppy ones now prevalent at outlets here often melt when brought out of covered production facilities and planted in the open. The more naturally structured types such as those mentioned above are successful in the garden. Primula in general are plants of cool moist places and need such conditions in the garden also. Main threat to longevity here is the summer conditions of marked drought and pervasive weevils, the larvae of these likely to gnaw primroses (and coral bell plants) off near the soil line. Adults may also turn their leaves to confetti.
     

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