My plant choice in June 2013 was scabiosa columbaria Barocca. It was a gorgeous colour but unfortunately it's been another casualty, it's nowhere to be seen now. It's given me the opportunity to purchase something new though.
When I visited Temple Newsam Gardens earlier this month, I was really taken with the candelabra primroses growing at the side of the lake so when I saw a plant for sale in a local garden centre I had no hesitation in popping it in my basket. This is primula Bullesiana.
I think it was the day after I bought this plant that we visited Harlow Carr and I saw them growing along the stream there. Their planting combinations look fabulous. I knew I'd made a good choice this month.
Candelabra primroses are very different to the primroses I associate with spring. They flower much later, from late spring well in to summer and they carry their flowers in tiers on tall, upright stems.
I'm not sure how well it will do in my garden as they require an evenly moist soil, that's why they grow so well along streams or by the side of lakes. I've placed my plant beside my little pond and hope it will do well there.
Let's hope it does better than my scabiosa did.
You are restrained buying just one. You've made me wonder know whether they would grow well aroung our bird bath,
ReplyDeleteI have to be restrained as I'm running out of room in my tiny border. I should, perhaps, stick to just a small variety of plants and grow more of them for impact but there's so many things I want to grow so it's a bit of a a hotchpotch of plants in there. I think they'd look lovely grown around a bird bath.
DeleteIt's a gorgeous colour, I hope it does well for you.
ReplyDeleteI love the colour, they come in such a range that they'd fit in with any colour scheme. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it does better than the scabiosa but I'll only know by trying.
DeleteBeautiful primula! I think my garden is too hot to grow this one. I think if I follow the advice, my garden will full of flower. As long I grow perennial such as Hisbiscus, Gardenia, Mussaenda, etc, I can find flowers in my garden every day.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've seen of your beautiful garden, you have flowers blooming the year round. It's a little more tricky here with our winter but it can certainly be done.
DeleteShame about the scabiosa but that's a good replacement, which I hope will do better. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteI loved the scabiosa so I'm sad that it didn't survive but I'm very happy with the replacement, I just hope it does better.
DeleteHey Jo,
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely plant, and I think I may follow Geoff's advice too.
Leanne xx
It's good advice, especially when the garden's looking bare in the depths of winter. It's nice to look out and see splashes of colour in the garden.
DeleteThe variety versus quantity dilemma is always a difficult one. I suppose it is really better to buy several specimens of one plant type instead of one specimen of lots of different ones, but in a small garden I think variety has to take precedence.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to have a big enough garden to buy lots of one thing, I think it makes a statement to see plants en masse but I do like a bit of variety. There's so many plants I love, I'm limited by what I can have already, I wouldn't like to be limited further.
DeleteWhat a gentle soft colour Jo. I hope that this fares better than the scabiosa. I would be tempted to have another go with the scabiosa keeping in mind some advice I once heard. This was that you can only say that a plant will not grow for you until you've killed it off at least three times :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a really lovely colour, quite unusual I thought. I've heard that advice too, I may give scabiosa another go if I can find room for it.
DeletePrimula Bullesiana..... what a lovely colour too.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it will do well.
All the best Jan
I hope it does do well. I've planted it at the edge of my little pond to increase its chances. I've got some spring flowering primulas planted there and they do really well so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
DeleteThere are so many plants I would love to have a go at introducing into our small garden. I was very tempted when I saw some candelabra primroses at the garden nursery, but resisted as I know they need moist conditions which we haven't got. The colour you chose is lovely and I hope the plant does well for you.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to resist plants we love, even when we know we don't have the conditions they require. Perhaps if we did, or I did, I'd have less casualties. I love this candelabra primrose, I just hope it survives.
DeleteThey are lovely plants Jo, especially when planted en masse. I have the yellow candelabra. For the life of me cannot remember its name.
ReplyDeleteMine have spread well, in the damp and dry areas. Hopefully, yours will be fine.
Love the colour.
I'd love to have enough room to plant them en masse, they were fabulous at Harlow Carr planted amongst hostas. I hope this one will do well, we'll see what happens next year.
DeleteI agree with Sue I would have come back with more than one. I still have quite young borders though so more space. At least at the moment. Looks fantastic very interesting structure to the flower.
ReplyDeleteIf it's anything like my other primulas it will bulk up, they're ready for dividing really they've done so well. I like the flower structure too, something a bit different.
DeleteWow - I've never seen a candelabra primula before - it's striking & I really like the pink/orange colour. What a great choice!
ReplyDeleteI've visited two gardens this month where this plant was putting on such a wonderful display. I've never really been aware of them before but they are lovely and they come in such a range of fabulous colours too.
DeleteI love the candelabra primroses. We got a few after seeing them at a show.
ReplyDeleteThey're wonderful plants, a little unusual and beautiful colours.
DeleteIsn't that pretty! I would love some but I think they'd hate my sandy, dry soil!xxx
ReplyDeleteThey probably would, they do like moist conditions. It's such a shame when there's plants we'd love but they won't thrive in the conditions we can provide.
DeleteWhat a wonderful idea! I am hopeless with anything that flowers except shrubs! So I am on a mission to find indestructible flowering shrubs so I can have a bit of colour on our windy hill!
ReplyDeleteThere's lots of lovely shrubs, even ones which flower through winter so you should have plenty of choice.
DeleteI love these plants. They have some fabulous ones growing at Aberglasney Gardens not too far away from us. Such gorgeous colours.
ReplyDeleteThey're such pretty flowers and as you say, they come in an array of beautiful colours.
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