8:11pm Sunday 28th February 2010
By Ann Janes
Whatever the weather throws at them hardy primulas can be relied on to bring a blaze of colour to our gardens, containers and baskets. They come in a wide range of colours from subtle whites and soft pastels right through to flamboyant purples, reds and rust.
You can be as discreet or ‘in your face’ as you wish. To add to their charms they can be single, semi-double or double whilst some are bi-colour and even tri-colour. Don’t be deceived by their delicate and fragile appearance, they are easy to grow bearing flowers on leafless stems, mainly in the spring and summer. We are spoilt for choice as there are hundreds of species and varieties to choose from falling into different botanical groups.
Auriculas are part of the same family and are timeless favourites. Clusters of flowers are produced in late spring reaching a height of 15cm as well as many alpine varieties. Candelabra are more upright, also coming into flower in late spring. They have long toothed leaves with up to eight tiers of brightly coloured flowers. As the name suggests types under the heading ‘drumstick’ have long stems with a pom-pom of flowers. Polyanthus give us a riot of bright colours in the spring, bearing clusters of blooms in brilliant colours. Vernalis, more commonly known as primroses, flower profusely in the spring on single, short stems. Cowslips also come into this group.
As you would expect different species have different growing needs. As with all plants, when choosing for your own garden make sure you can give them the conditions they need to survive. On the whole border varieties prefer a partially shaded position and moisture retentive soil that has been enriched with humus. In contrast alpines need a sunny site with gritty or well drained soil that doesn’t get too dry. Primulas are a versatile family and can be planted at any time when the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged, but for best results plant either in spring or autumn when the soil is moist. Prepare the site carefully adding some well-rotted garden compost mixed with a little peat substitute.
For formal bedding polyanthus are the most popular. To make a real impact plant in groups of five or seven spaced about 20cm apart. Choose new plants carefully discounting any that have discoloured and wilted leaves. It’s easy to work out that the more buds on a plant the more flowers you should get and, to see exactly what you are choosing, look out for those that are showing a tinge of colour. To get the best impact from primroses plant in drifts under trees and hedges, whilst the taller drumstick plants prefer a shady border and cowslips are ideal for rough grass.
Remove blooms as they fade to encourage lots more flowers – with very little care they should add a lively touch of colour to your garden for quite a while.
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