Primula 2015

[TC]

I was somewhat surprised to see a Primula capitata flowering well out of season

[Lesley Cox]

Love the auricula. 'Bob' has a wonderful Elizabethan ruff almost. It seems to stand up and out. Do I like 'Francisca?' Do I?,don't I? do I? Not sure.

[Graeme]

Love the auricula. 'Bob' has a wonderful Elizabethan ruff almost. It seems to stand up and out. Do I like 'Francisca?' Do I?,don't I? do I? Not sure.

'True Briton' was my favorite auricula - sadly lost it some years ago

[Roma]

'Dawn Ansell'

[Leena]

Here is my Primula 'Francesca' last June. Geranium in the picture is G.x cantabrigiense 'Biokovo'

[Maggi Young]

Geranium x cantabrigiense 'Biokovo' looks a neat plant, Leena.

[johnw]

Francesca told me she found that Primula on a compost heap behind a garden centre in metro Vancouver!  Some have all the luck.

johnw

[Maggi Young]

From Pam Eveleigh of Primula World :

  "What do these flowers have in common, other than being Primula?
Read my blog post at www.primulaworld.com on the Eye of the Flower. "



http://www.primulaworld.blogspot.ca/2015/11/the-eye-of-flower.html


 Lots of interest in Pam's blogs, as well as in the super Primula World site.

[Leena]

Thanks Maggi.

Francesca told me she found that Primula on a compost heap behind a garden centre in metro Vancouver!  Some have all the luck.

This is interesting, I didn't know the origin of this primula. I've had it now for several years and it grows well for me. It is now so pretty as many others but it is different and keeps it's flowers for a long time. 

A Primula, which is very pretty is 'Dark Rosaleen'. Does anyone know it's origin?

[David Nicholson]

Leena, there is a 'Dark RosalIE, bred in Northern Ireland by Joe Kennedy

[Leena]

Leena, there is a 'Dark RosalIE, bred in Northern Ireland by Joe Kennedy

OK.  I have bought this Primula as 'Dark Rosaleen', but is it then the wrong name?
The yellow Primulas in the second picture in the back are grown from seed, as Primula 'Jessica', perhaps 'Jessica' is a name for a strain.

[David Nicholson]

Hi Leena, I've spent  a couple of hours today looking into this and here's what I found.

First of all P. 'Dark Rosaleen' is widely available in many parts of the world, probably as a result of micro-propagation, and is attributable to the now famous Northern Irish breeder Joe Kennedy. All the plants I've seen pictures of on Google are remarkably like yours.

In his book "Primroses & Polyanthus-A Guide to Species and Hybrids" (Batsford 1997) the author Peter Ward lists 'Dark Rosalie', bred by Joe Kennedy and originally developed from 'Kinloch Beauty'.  He descibes it as 'a small bronze-leaved plant with thrum-eyed, almost eyeless flowers, dark red with broad stripes of a lighter shade- a true striped primrose.........A sensation at the Irish Spring Show in 1997'

Now, of course there may have been a mis-spelling involved in Ward and perhaps he meant to say 'Dark Rosaleen'. Perhaps also there actually was a 'Dark Rosalie' but she wasn't such a good doer as Rosaleen and she has gone the way of all plants? I wonder if any of the Irish/Northern Irish Forumists might see this and might have access to any records of the 1997 Show Ward mentioned?

[Leena]

Thanks David, My plant is most likely micro-propagated, but it is a good plant and I have already divided it once (it was planted in 2013).

[Giles]

OK.  perhaps 'Jessica' is a name for a strain.

..yes, a dark leaved strain from Jelitto....http://jelitto.com/Jelitto+Perennial+Seeds/New+Varieties/New+Varieties+2003/PRIMULA+elatior-Hybr+Jessica+Portion+s.html?listtype=search&searchparam=primula

[Leena]

Thanks Giles. I have grown my plants from seeds I got from a friend, and about half of them have dark leaves, and half ordinary leaves, but both very nice plants.