Monday 25 February 2013

Primroses For February

This year, I'm taking the late Geoff Hamilton's advice and visiting a nursery each month with a view to buying a plant which is in flower for my garden. Doing this should ensure that I have something blooming in my garden every month of the year.

I've got one primrose in my garden at the moment, but I adore primroses, so I decided upon seeing some plants in flower in the garden centre, that I would add to my lonely specimen and make the primrose my flower purchase for February. I don't know what it is about primroses that I love so much, they seem such dainty things, almost fragile with their pale, buttery yellow blooms, but they're actually quite tough little things putting out flowers in the coldest of months.

I've been meaning to increase the number of primroses in my garden for a while now. They can be propagated from seed, it's best to sow the seed when green, and apparently, they're quick to germinate. I shall definitely have a go at it this year so that I can have even more primroses in my garden.

30 comments:

  1. Ooh you'd have loved one particular stand at the RHS plant and design show - so many beautiful primroses that it would be very hard to choose just one! I think your following Geoff Hamilton's advice seems a very logical course of action - with lots of visiting fun thrown in!

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    1. I bet the stand you talk of was beautiful. I think primroses are so pretty because they're so understated. Following Geoff Hamilton's advice is giving me the perfect excuse to shop for plants each month.

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  2. A welcome post on such a cold, grey day! I agree that they are lovely flowers. Flighty xx

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    1. I'd like to get a few more plants so I'll definitely have a go at sowing some seeds this year. Cold and grey here too today, hard to believe what gorgeous weather we had this time last week.

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  3. I too love primroses, although I've never grown them from seed so thanks for the green seed advice.
    What a wonderful idea re buying something in flower for each month of the year!xxxxx

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    1. It seems that they're quick and easy to germinate so I'm definitely going to have a go at sowing some seed this year. It's a very good idea which Geoff Hamilton came up with, I know many people still miss his wisdom.

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  4. I love primroses - such a cheery signal of spring. I've never sown the seed as they self seed in my garden :-)

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    1. I wish mine would self seed, though I might have more chance of that happening if I have more plants.

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  5. The "traditional" cream-coloured Primroses are nicer than the rather brash gaudy-coloured ones. I would love to have a Wild Garden with a huge bank of Primroses. Next to the bank of Daffodils, and the Rhododendron Walk...(Dream on, Mark!)

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    1. I totally agree with you. Nothing wrong with dreaming, I do it all the time.

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  6. I love native primroses too and have lots on the plot that were raised from collected seed which was sown straight after collecting. I had tried from a packet of bought seed and none germinated so they do need to be fairly fresh

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    1. I'll give it a go this year. It would be nice to have more plants.

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  7. Oh I love primroses too...both in the garden and along the verges..so glad you haven't gone for the psychodelic ones...the real ones are so much more beautiful I think ...mine self seed like mad in the garden - I dig them up and just move them to where I want them :o)

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    1. I prefer the native ones too, so understated and beautiful. I wish my plants would self seed.

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  8. Its a great idea Jo, but I seem to be a fair weather gardener these days! I have only ventured into the garden an odd once or twice this year, far too cold for me!

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    1. I haven't done anything yet either, it's been far too wet to do much outside. My allotment is still waiting to be dug over, something which should have been done in the autumn, but it was wet then too.

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  9. You must try the Barnhaven primroses Jo. They are well worth researching and contain most of the range of variations found in primroses.
    It is being brought home to me how primroses are somehow stimulated by being divided and rapidly grow on to make fine new plants

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    1. I've never heard of Barnhaven primroses, I've just looked them up and they've got such a wonderful selection. I do love auriculas, though I've never grown them myself, I keep saying I'll treat myself but I haven't yet.

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  10. That looks like a lovely, healthy plant Jo. I hae a few dotted around my garden in pots but they all look a little 'dog eared', that one in your photo is just perfect : )

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    1. The one in my photo hasn't been ravaged by the elements yet, I'm sure it will look just as dog eared once it's planted out.

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  11. They're such a rewarding plant for little effort - mine seem to self seed themselves everywhere :)

    They also seem to start flowering in July!

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    1. I think many plants get confused these days and flower when they aren't supposed to. It seems that many people get self seeded primroses, I hope mine does the same.

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  12. If only the weather was a bit warmer so we could go out and admire the primroses properly a little patch of colour is a welcome sight.

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    1. It's cold again today. I don't think it's due to warm up again for a while, more's the pity.

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  13. That is such a good idea, and so sensible with it. I need more flowers, perhaps I can do the same.

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    1. I thought it was a great idea, I hope to have year round colour in the garden after twelve months.

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  14. Beautiful primrose there Jo. I have a cultivar in my garden that has just bloomed - it was a freebie from college and is a bright blue/violet colour. Not my particular cup of tea and I'm thinking it may be better in a pot on an outside window ledge. But I have just sown a tray of native primula seeds - will let you know if they germinate!

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    1. I have to admit that I do prefer the pale yellow, native variety rather than the coloured ones, though they do have their place too. Good luck with the seeds, I hope they germinate for you.

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  15. I need to be looking into lots of early flowers this year in readiness for next spring...primroses will be a definite on my list...such lovely colours so early in the year!!

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    1. I really do love primroses, they seem so delicate, yet they always put on a wonderful show.

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