Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Specific Families and Genera => Primula => Topic started by: Giles on May 03, 2009, 05:17:38 PM
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Primula kisoana
Primula reidii
Primula japonica
Primula lilacina
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Primula bellidifolia
Primula chungensis
Primula aureata
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The P.reidii smells very nice :D
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You've really got these going now Giles, some lovely stuff.
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Thanks, David.
The P.reidii is a right little '******'
I've tried growing it for ages, and this is the first time one's lasted long enough to flower. (They usually die in their first Summer).
They flop if the temp goes much over 20 C, but if you try to raise the humidity to keep them going, those soft hairy leaves just rot.
It's one for the 'Northern Counties' ( ;D ;D ;D) 8)
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It does well here but in full and perpetual shade. Max summer temp 35C, min winter temp -6C and about 600mm rain per year, mostly from late autumn to early spring. Almost none in summer.
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The magic touch!! :D
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Giles, your May primulas are looking gorgeous - for me the Primula kisoana (colour) and Primula reidii (scent) Primula chungensis (unusual colour combination) are especially attractive. I look forward to seeing more...keep us posted :)
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Quite late in comparison to my other European Primulas but nontheless very welcome is Primula pubescens 'Apple Blossom' a lovely form.
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Very pretty David but I've yet to see an apple tree with blossom that colour! :)
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Yes Lesley, I had the same thought and wondered if I had a mis-named plant. I did a search on the Web and found one at this nursery that seems to be the same colour as my plant.
http://www.angusplants.co.uk/10%20primula%20species.htm
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Hi Giles, your primulas are super and I like the lilacina, you must be a lot warmer than here as ours are still in tight bud, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Thankyou for the compliments, Ian !
I think the P.lilacina has a great future in the garden, as it seems to be a tough little plant.
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David, I wasn't doubting your 'Appleblossom,' (and yours is closer to that colour than theirs) just being my usual cynical self. :) But their info for 'Harlow Carr is not quite correct and I don't think the picture is either. It is creamy white certainly but with a very distinct pink flushing at the edges, with large, ruffled flowers. There's no mistaking it.
Oddly, 'Harlow Carr' turned up recently in an ID query thread, from Rodger in BC. He had it as 'Harpur Crewe' but couldn't find a reference. Easy to see how the name could have been mangled, but he said it had also been around in Canada as - 'Appleblossom.'
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Primula scandinavica (P.scotica was alot brighter and darker)
Primula algida
Primula recubariensis (x2)
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As usual Giles, lovely little plants and very well grown.
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Thankyou, David.
I've found a picture of 'Appleblossom' for you, in 'Primulas: The Complete Guide' by the late Mary Robinson.
Yours looks spot-on!
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Thanks Giles. Idiot that I am I never thought of looking in Mary Robinson's book.
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I bought a couple of primula's last year but I mixed up some of the names (stupid, I know :-[ ):
The first two are pictures (from the same plant) I have as Primula reidii but the third one is clearly Primula reidii.
Does anyone have an idea which species (probably not easy/possible without flowers?) the first could be?
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Wim,
The only Primula I've got with leaves that shiny is P.poissonii, but I guess there must be others.
There's a good foliage shot of it at http://www.primulaworld.com/PWWeb/Index.shtml
(and your P.reidii is alot better than mine!!! :'( ;D ;D)
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Giles,
I cheated, I bought the reidii last year from Edrom and they always deliver very good plants. I think I bought the other one from them too, maybe I can compare with pictures on their site.
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I bought the reidii last year from Edrom and they always deliver very good plants.
I have just caught a snippet of Gardener's World programme on TV and I hear that Edrom have won a Gold Medal for their display at Malvern Show.... WELL DONE to Cath and Terry!! 8)
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Primula pulverenta
Primula polyneura
Primula mollis (x2)
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Primula halleri
Primula ex Beima Shan
Neighbour's cat guarding my Daphnes
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Boy, is that one ugly cat?!
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Lesley,
I think it is rather cute. I particularly like the white frosted "moustache". What exactly is it guarding your Daphne's FROM, Giles?
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...I think it's going to be more a case of protecting the CAT (from ending up as Teddy's breakfast :-[)
Primula latisecta
Primula septemloba
Primula kisoana (posted earlier, but better now!)
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Great primulas, Giles, but I have to digress.... who is Teddy? Dog, cat? Meat eating goldfish?
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Teddy = Lesley's new dog (I thought he was already a forum member!).
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Oh, that Teddy ...... sorry, I'm a little slow today :-[
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Yes, THAT Teddy! He has just bitten Cain on the nose because Cain has stolen his new squeaky ball and won't release it. Cain has therefore retired - but still with ball - to lick his wound. Teddy should understand that Cain is top dog but doesn't and is quite fearless. Cain, on the other hand is a wimp and always takes the line of least resistence.
Sorry to digress, the primulas are lovely Giles. Are these three related? I really must get a copy of the Richards book.
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Yes, they are. (They're all primulas !! ;D ;D)
They are all in section Cortusoides, subsection Geranioides.
In practical terms, they all have leaves that look like scented leaved pelargoniums or hardy geraniums.
They must be pretty tough, as the pot of P.latisecta was very weed ridden, I took a risk and watered it with paraquat - it killed all of the weeds
and the Primula grew back - no problems!!
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Good Lord! That's was a bit drastic!
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Primula alpicola
Primula 'Inverewe' (the West Coast variant of P.scotica).
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Primula 'Inverewe' (the West Coast variant of P.scotica).
???
Gerd
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Sorry, if I've caused you confusion, Gerd.
I have an unfortunate sense of humour.
It's nothing to do with P.scotica, as you realise.
P. 'Inverewe' is named after one of Scotland's great gardens, on the West coast of the Highlands.
It's full of Rhododendrons, Tree Ferns, and it is a wonderful place.
P. 'Inverewe' is the second best primula to have originated in Scotland. (after P.scotica).
Many apologies,
Giles
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Mmmm, I too was wondering about that. Great to see 'Inverewe' though. Mine died away in an east coast drought perhaps 20 years ago. I keep meaning to try the cross again in hope of something close.
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Some Primulas from yesterday:
P. calderiana
P. deorum
P. limbata
P. obtusifolia
P. rusbyi
P. tanneri
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Magnar,
wow - super primulas. 8) 8) 8) Like P. tanneri most.
Congratulations!
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Well it's that amazing colour isn't it Armin? Very special but they are all stunners. I do like the delicate-looking P. limbata. Never heard of that one. I MUST get Richards' book.
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Lesley,
yes all have amazing colors. 8)
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The P. limbata photo is lovely because you can see the delicate colour and shape of the flowers in the single head but the P. tanneri is so floriferous it's amazing and such a striking colour, Magnar :)
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Magnar,
Norway doesn't seem to be a bad place to grow Primula's ! ::)
All look great and seldom seen !
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Magnar,
Beautiful pics, as always. For me, the calderiana really stands out. Lovely!!
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1. Primula bulleyana.
2. Primula secundiflora (pale form). I think. correction:P.sikkimensis (Was meant to be P.handeliana) >:(
3. Primula florindae. (Was meant to be P.firmipes) >:(
Spot the greenfly ;D
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2. Primula secundiflora (pale form). I think. (Was meant to be P.handeliana) >:(
Yuck, same thing happened here - and I must have sold over 25 of them wrongly named :P
ETA: I may be way off, but I thought it looked like P. sikkimensis?
Do you grow/have you flowered any Primula sp. (high, woodland) from Blue Moon Valley, Zhongdian? (ex Pilous.)
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Magnar,
Norway doesn't seem to be a bad place to grow Primula's ! ::)
All look great and seldom seen !
Yes,, i guess my climate is wet and cold enough for many of them ;D
I have quite a lot of different speices and forms and most do very well here
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.....I was only guessing, so am open to suggestions on that one.
I have a red sikkimensis, but its flowers are bigger and more 'dangly'.
I was given the 'P.handeliana' in the picture from an expert, and bought another (which has turned out the same) from a nursery.
I try growing anything, but the big bog primulas droop during the day and stiffen up at night, so they always end up with kinky stems.
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We all probably got wild collected seeds last year from Dr. Holubec, labelled Primula cf. handeliana. Give your plant a couple of days and I think you'll find the flowers expand to the same size as "red sikkimensis", at least they have so on my plants. Also, P. secundiflora is supposed to have vertical stripes on the calyces (I cheated and looked that up ;)).
(Edit: Typing error.)
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Now I know what to look for, I see you are right ! :)
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I shan't ever forget the incredibly fine pictures and plants shown by Finn Haugli in New Zealand, of primula species in Tromso. They obviously ADORED that climate. :D
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Primula hoi (ex SSSE 24) - I should probably divide the clump as only a few of the seedlings show the nice red markings on the foliage.
Edit: Just read the description and it has to be a different species, probably P. gemmifera?
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We all probably got wild collected seeds last year from Dr. Holubec, labelled Primula cf. handeliana. Give your plant a couple of days and I think you'll find the flowers expand to the same size as "red sikkimensis", at least they have so on my plants. Also, P. secundiflora is supposed to have vertical stripes on the calyces (I cheated and looked that up ;)).
(Edit: Typing error.)
I have it from an alpine plant sale in Germany last year. It has not flowered yet as it had a bad winter.The man who gave it me said it looked wrong but would probably be nice anyway.
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A question for all you Primula fans: which book will provide the best basics for Primula cultivation? I have pretty good success with the few types I've tried from seed, but some just wither away. I think I'm missing some cultural aspects and really have no idea of Primula classification.
Also, should seed be sown only fresh? Do most species require cold treatment? Some seem to sprout right away.
Thanks, all!
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Primula by John Richards (ISBN 0-88192-580-2) seems to be the current reference work for classification, and it also contains notes for each entry on natural habitat (if applicable) and growing conditions.
Deno found that "the majority" of primulas have seed that survive dry storage. (He notes P. rosea as an exception, where dry storage is fatal; in his supplemental works, he comments on other species which were found to be dead after some years of dry storage.) He goes on in his publications to talk about the results from germinating individual species, and the germination delay mechanisms that some have. Scanning through those he studied, most appear to have reasonable germination rates without stratification, but it is variable by species.
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Jamie,
I agree with Lori, but if you wanted books in German, there is:
Primeln by Fritz Kohlein
and
Die Aurikel by Ellert and Richter Verlag.
but
for pictures, the 'primulaworld' website is the best/most reliable/up to date source.
http://www.primulaworld.com/PWWeb/Index.shtml
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Lori, Giles,
thanks. I had seen the book on Amazon and planned to order it, but, as it is getting older, I was wondering if there were other books of merit. I love books, in any case, regardless of the language.
I had discovered the Primula World website. A magnificent resource for fotos, but no info as to culture. Of course, one can often read a lot from the shots.
I don't see myself becoming an absolute fanatic, but with any plant I grow, I want to inform myself as well as possible. Primula have always fascinated me and I do want to spend a few years exploring them. There is nothing to compare with that feeling one gets as a seed grown plant unfolds its first blossom. But you know that ;D ;D ;D!