Primula 2014

[johnstephen29]

Discovered this auricula in flower while weeding, loverly dark flower.


Primula auricula by johnstephen29, on Flickr

[johnstephen29]

Recently acquired four new primula's, the first is P. Vialii, love this plant reminds me of a red hot poker plant on a smaller size, next is, P. Tschuktschorum this is a new one for me it grows on both sides of the Bering Strait, in wet meadows from sea level to 2100m. I'll plant it near my harts tongue fern it likes similar conditions. Next is a plant that I have been after for ages P. Scotica, a lovely little primrose. Lastly another auricula to add to my little collection, this one is auricula Symphony.

P. Scotica, P. Tschuktschorum & P. Vialii by johnstephen29, on Flickr

Auricula Symphony by johnstephen29, on Flickr

[David Nicholson]

Compost looks on the heavy side (to say the least!) for the auricula and P. scotica John

[Lesley Cox]

I'd agree with that David. Looking at these and assuming they came from a nursery, they make me very happy with my own stock which is lusty by comparison, as I'm preparing for the big Rhododendron Day sale in the Dunedin Botanic Gardens on Sunday.  John, when you plant them out add some grit, not too fine, and lime for the auricula. And do feel free to tell me to teach my Granny, but she would have said the same, being a grower of auriculas herself.

[johnstephen29]

Thanks David & Lesley for the advice, I did wonder myself if I was doing the right thing by not incoporating some grit. I wouldn't be so rude Lesley, this is what I like about the srgc you get advice about growing plants & the like from other members & I'm certainly not above myself from taking it. Hopefully I can do the same to other members. 

[David Nicholson]

Some of you will know that I have an interest in the older cultivars of Primula marginata and I am gradually (very gradually!) building up a file of information on them that one day I hope to make available on the internet for posterity. Thanks to Barry Starling I now have information on P marginata 'Beverly Reid' which I will quote here, and picture below of my plant earlier this year.

"Beverley Reid lived in Kent. He was, or so he claimed, the son of a sea captain who married the daughter of a tribal chief (a Princess) from a South Pacific Island. Beverly was a chef by profession and his Christmas parties were famous for the fantastic dishes he prepared. He would drive miles in search of plants leaving Kent before dawn, and for instance driving to Wales, then to Devon and back home in the day. He had considerable success on the AGS show benches and introduced the Origanum hybrid 'Kent Beauty'. He died, I think, in his mid-forties, of a heart attack"

I will need to establish an accurate spelling of his name as my plant is labelled 'Beverly Reid' whereas Barry has used 'Beverley'

 

[Mark Griffiths]

Nice plant David and a nice story also. We have had so many and still have so many wonderful characters in the alpine / rock garden world.

[Maggi Young]

I suspect Barry is correct with his use of "Beverley" - this is the more common English usage of the name for a male.  "Beverly" is more used for females in the UK, though it is the common spelling in other countries for either gender as I understand it.

I just LOVE the stories behind plants - adds great dimension to our interest.

[David Nicholson]

I suspect Barry is correct with his use of "Beverley" - this is the more common English usage of the name for a male.  "Beverly" is more used for females in the UK, though it is the common spelling in other countries for either gender as I understand it.

I just LOVE the stories behind plants - adds great dimension to our interest.

My sister-in-law is June Beverley so I don't think it matters really.

[johnstephen29]

Loverly primula David, I though the name was just a girls name, you learn something new every day on here.

[Maggi Young]

Yes, as I said both are used for girls, even in the UK.  Wonder if perhaps your S-in-L was named after Beverley in Yorkshire?   Or maybe even the (Blackburn) Beverley aircraft   
(I've flown in one of those - it took eleven hours to fly from Libya to the UK - with a brief stop in Orange, France  -  it was quite an experience.   )

[David Nicholson]

Another Primula story.

A few weeks ago I got a telephone call from David Hatchett who used to run a small nursery at Lydford, (of Gorge fame) specialising in Saxifrages, some Primulas a selection of Alpines. David is 86 now although you wouldn't know it to look at him and he was ringing to tell me that he and his wife had been finding it very difficult now living on the edge of nowhere and coping with the demands of the garden (David has been cultivating and propagating all the stuff he used to retail!) and had bought a small bungalow in Tavistock where he would have a small garden and greenhouse. His call was, if you want some plants help me to get rid of some and take what you want. So with a couple of friends we did just that and came home with the car heaving with trays and boxes of all kind of goodies.

Now, before retiring to Devon David was Head Gardener for many years at a Country House in Oxfordshire and in 1983 had a book published by David and Charles entitled "Country House Garden". It's still available at ABe Books and no doubt other book dealers at under £1 plus p/p and it's an excellent read. His wife Julie worked for many years as Head Propagator at the famous Joe Elliott's nursery, Broadwell Nursery.

Amongst the plants I wanted David said you must have this one. It was a Primula hybrid and the label said "JE S/S Sdlng". I asked for more information and he told me it was a self sown seedling on Joe Elliott's benching that Joe gave to him and that's going back some some years, that he has kept going. It's a lovely little plant he told me.

I can't wait to see it in flower.

[astragalus]

What a lovely story.  And isn't it great that these special plants will continue to grow in special gardens.  They'll hopefully prosper and their history will continue.  The gardening community seems to be a very strong one.

[Robert]

David,

Beautiful Primula! and equally interesting stories and histories.

[Matt T]

I'd not grown alpine Primulas until this spring, when I bought some for a trough that gets sun for only half the day and is outside all year. I'm pleased with how they fared over the summer and with how easily they root from cuttings. Knowing how wet our winters can get, I spent a very chilly hour or more plucking dead and dying leaves from the sad-looking plants at the weekend. The transformation is amazing. Not only are they SO much tidier and less likely to rot but I also uncovered so many new growth points that had previously been hidden. They've coped with our weather so far. Hopefully they get through the winter ok and give a good show next year. I can see myself collecting more of these lovely wee plants.