Primula July

[ranunculus]

Hi Carlo,
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ... though sometimes in the grey matter of the exaggerator!   
So many of these Sinohimalayan primulas are extremely difficult to keep in cultivation and when one is fortunate enough to succeed (however fleetingly) with a reputedly 'impossible' plant then the beauty of that species leaps far (in this grower's mind especially) beyond mere visual impression.

Primula reptans is a tiny creeping gem that rivals moss for stature, but, when content, produces brilliant violet-purple to midnight blue corollas that are relatively huge (to 15mm in diameter), in comparison to the minuteness of the foliage.

...And, I think I might be right in saying, that here in the U.K. we can sometimes be heard to say; 'most beautiful' when we actually mean 'truly beautiful'?     

I hope you found an image of P.reptans that really did it justice?

Kind regards from the 'most beautiful' part of Lancashire.

[Carlo]

Well Cliff, you're not alone. Many's the time I've waxed poetically about this or that and had the receiver of the information crinkle up their nose and say..."That...what is that?" or "That's an orchid!?" "What are you growing THAT for?"

[Mick McLoughlin]

Cliff,
Here is a link to P. reptans photo.


http://www.primulaworld.com/PWweb/gallery/reptans/index.html

Cheers
Mick

 edit to correct broken link

[ranunculus]

Many thanks Mick ... exactly as I remember it ... but now with a sense of longing.   Aaaaah!

[Carlo]

Well, it (P. reptans) certainly is a stunner!

[Lesley Cox]

Can't remember now where I bought it but I brought P. reptans home from the UK in 1981 when such activities were still possible. It spent 12 months in coolish, shady quarantine and grew nicely. Then when released, I put it outside in its pot - really stupid of me as it was a hot day with our killing nor'west wind. By evening it was quite dead. No amount of cooling, shading, watering brought any sign of life to light. Lesson learned the hard way but no further chance to repair the damage.

[ranunculus]

My apologies Giles ... I forgot to thank you for your very useful information.
Kind regards,
Cliff

[Giles]

A mere momentary lapse whilst dreaming of a fine primula.......
(entirely understandable)

[johnw]

Can't remember now where I bought it but I brought P. reptans home from the UK in 1981 when such activities were still possible. It spent 12 months in coolish, shady quarantine and grew nicely. Then when released, I put it outside in its pot - really stupid of me as it was a hot day with our killing nor'west wind. By evening it was quite dead. No amount of cooling, shading, watering brought any sign of life to light. Lesson learned the hard way but no further chance to repair the damage.

Why do we do these things? Don't feel bad, reminds me I had some fine tiny seedlings of the rare Rhododendron fragrans in the garden under a water garden mesh pot for shade. Someone on the internet asked me about them and I went out to check their size. Left the pot off, the sun came out while replying and they were fried by the time I discovered them as perfect herbarium specimens.  I didn't have age to blame back then.

johnw

[Giles]

Primula sieboldii, Japanese style:
http://homepage3.nifty.com/plantsandjapan/page048.html
http://www.sakurasou.jp/English2.htm
Try:
http://barnhavenprimroses.com/
http://farmyardnurseries.co.uk/sieboldii.htm

[Lesley Cox]

Great links thanks Giles. I don't always like what the Japanese do with their plant breeding programmes but one must admit they are masters at displaying their end products. Some of the blues and whites particularly are very tempting. Looks like more seed from Barnhaven very soon.

[Giles]

http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/plants_and_algae/Primula_vulgaris/Primula_vulgaris_04.html?offset=0px
http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/plants_and_algae/Primula_vulgaris/Primula_vulgaris_11a.html?offset=0px
http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/plants_and_algae/Primula_vulgaris/Primula_vulgaris_11b.html?offset=0px
Go on,you know you want to!
http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/plants_and_algae/Primula_veris/Primula_veris_04.html?offset=0px
(I might grow up one day)

[Lvandelft]

Primula sieboldii, Japanese style:

These first two links are great!
What a wealth of information of one specific member of the Primula!
Just learned a lot about plants I never grew, but now probably I am tempted to do so? 
Thank you Giles.

[Lesley Cox]

Do you have a job to go to Giles?

[Maggi Young]

Giles, thanks for these arkive.org links.... really enjoy the time-lapse pix, though I'm less sure about watching bank voles devouring flowers!!