May, Traditionally a laughing month, is never more cheerful than in the cool shadows of a spacious backyard in Cheshire, Connecticut.
Not until visitors reach the end of the driveway do they see the riot of color covering the gentle slope ahead.
Carder’s Famed Primroses
These sprightly flowers jumping in the breeze are Ellen Carder’s famed primroses!
Gardeners gloat over the turbulent reds, the mysterious blues, the saucy yellows, and the pastel combinations with their candy stick markings.
Mrs. Frederick C. H. Carder, now in her 78th year, never relaxes when attaining perfection in plants.
Admired by garden club members in her state, she has long been in a tremendous demand for lectures, judging, and a host of other activities.
However, even her great knowledge of plants and willingness to share it cannot, at times, overcome natural physical weariness. Yet, she carries on bravely with her varied garden enthusiasms.
Clever with arrangements, particularly dried flowers, Mrs. Carder patiently achieves winter bouquets of matchless taste and with a touch of daring.
These painstakingly fashioned creations have embellished many flower shows.
Ellen Carder Seedlings
The Federated Garden Club of Connecticut has fittingly named one of her best primrose seedlings Ellen Carder.
Its large, vibrant blooms are striking apricot, salmon, and coral. Each spring, more and more visitors come to Ellen Carder’s garden from the news that passes by word of mouth.
From May 1st on, any pleasant evening and weekend bring scores of onlookers. Nearly 10,000 primrose flowers annually, but none are for sale, for growing them is her hobby!
However, she has given seed to a commercial nursery, so plants from her sturdy race are available to gardeners.
A Little Gardening
How did all this come about? Tuberculosis contracted in 1924-5 played a prominent role, although it is no problem today.
The doctor forbade all social activities but permitted “a little gardening.” Almost assuredly, he had no thought of thousands of primroses as one item on the agenda.
Mrs. Carder began her garden adventure by puttering various shade-loving plants in an old apple orchard. In 1927, friends brought her two packets of British primrose seed.
Only a few grew, with no startling results, but she tended them lovingly. Soon, many species were added, and gradually a fairly good collection sprang up.
Improved All-American Strain
Yet no effort was made to improve them, and many of her first pets would be considered mediocre today.
Mrs. Carder credits the late Alex Cumming, noted plant breeder and nurseryman, for the next phase of her career.
In 1930, he met and became fascinated with this great gardener and her primroses. He encouraged her to create a genuine, self-reliant All-American strain.
He showed her how to hybridize and stressed the need to use only the sturdiest seed of large blossoms of pleasing color.
Further, she was urged to concentrate on the polyanthus hybrids and forego all species.
Thus all the species were discarded, save the sparkling white Primula sieboldii and the whimsical “hose-in-hose” type.
In 1938, a severe hurricane toppled most apple trees, providing the desired shade for her primroses.
However, fast-growing black walnuts, scented akebia vines, silver maples, and lush grape vines have long since replaced the casualties.
How The Flourishing Plantings Remain
Today, even the plantings at the bases of great hybrid lilacs appear to be flourishing, though a few gnarled old apple trees remain.
Of great significance is the fact that Mrs. Carder has neither a greenhouse nor a coIdfrarne.
Where The Seed Pods Are Stored
Seed pods are harvested from the best parent plants from mid-June. Still greenish, they are stored loosely in open boxes in an airy attic and are shuffled daily.
This precaution halts rotting or heating and ensures the needed ripening process. Gradually the rounded, blackish seeds fall loosely to the bottom of the cartons.
Cleaning by Late Summer
By late summer, they are ready for cleaning. The chaff is gently blown and shaken free because it might cause fungi in the seed flats.
Commercial growers, insistent on a cool greenhouse for sowing the seed in January, will be amazed to learn that Mrs. Carder actually starts all her plants in her guest room.
After New Year’s Day, this room houses several shallow flats filled with thinly sown seeds.
A sandy top dressing is wise, and a 60° degrees Fahrenheit temperature is maintained since primroses dislike heat at all stages. However, even a lower temperature is permissible.
Transplanting of Seeds
By February 15, growth is sufficient to warrant transplanting the seedlings. Again, shallow boxes are filled with stiffly composted soil.
Seedlings are planted about one inch apart, so growth can be leisurely without fatal overcrowding.
Daily, Mrs. Carder checks each fiat, watering and turning each as needed to give some sunlight.
On April 15, these boxes, like emerald rugs, are moved to the back porch. However, the change would be dangerous unless tempered by hardening off.
Cheesecloth for Cover
Cheesecloth is draped over the flats, canopy-like, to be withheld as weather dictates. Finally, covering is necessary only when too much sunlight or nights are cold.
The small plants are set out in the shade-dappled beds in favorable years in early May.
The soil, freed of encroaching tree roots, is enriched with compost and thoroughly rotted manure or leaf mold.
Superphosphate is added instead of bonemeal because it is less expensive and less attractive to dogs.
Checking Red Spider
Over the years, nearly 100,000 primroses have been planted by Ellen Carder. Young plants kept well cultivated are watered copiously.
Well-fed and watered plants do not fall prey to spiders as readily as those neglected.
Severe attacks of red spiders are controlled by spraying with aramite or malathion aimed at the underside of the foliage.
Applying A Mulch Of Salt Hay
When the ground freezes, a 4”-inch mulch of salt hay is applied loosely. The idea is to protect the roots against thawing and heaving.
Otherwise, primroses are inherently hardy. Mrs. Carder prefers to use the common bog hay (native to New England marshlands), but the harvesting is no easy chore.
In early spring, the covering is loosened to allow limited thawing. Later it is removed as weather warrants.
Simultaneously a sprinkling of a 5-8-7 fertilizer is applied, followed by the addition of shredded cow manure in a few days.
Continuous Bloom For 10 Years
Normally, each bed of primrose is discarded after the fourth blooming year. However, the Carder garden contains one planting still blooming valiantly after 10 years!
It contrasts with more recent additions, which are superior in color and size. Individual favorites are divided, usually in June of every third year.
Garden Primrose
Our present-day garden primrose is loosely classified as Primula polyantha. It has been derived over the centuries from English wildings, such as P. elatior, P. veris, and P. vulgaris.
Only a few years ago, Mrs. Carder would thrill at the appearance of even a few stray pastel shades in any new bed.
Now pinkish, salmon, or apricot tones are commonplace because of her rigid standards of seed collecting. As a result, many of her individual blooms easily cover a half dollar.
Increased By Division
One flamboyant specimen, nearly pure orange in its henna-tinted splendor, is now being increased by division. Only the yellows are by-passed as seed parents.
Two exquisite blue selections, the lighter Frederick Carder, are also being propagated.
Both always capture the visitor’s eye as they blossom a bit earlier. But, unhappily, they seed shyly, and until 1953’s crop, they rarely reproduced blue offspring.
However, the past spring’s trials yielded a gratifying 25% percent of true blue tones. While most growers label the cushion-like blue primroses as P. acaulis, botanists recognize them only as variations of P. vulgaris.
Other Rare Plants
While I aim to tell of the Carder primroses, it would be thoughtless, indeed, to ignore all the other choice denizens of this roomy garden.
In truth, the owner is a connoisseur of choice and rare in plants. For instance, many hybrid lilacs, including an unidentified purple novelty with white edges.
More than 160 outstanding daylilies, many Oriental poppies, even the dusky red Ivlahony some cannot keep, and iris species flourish in the filtered shade.
There is a notable collection of hostas, plus thousands of lily-of-the-valley in pink and in single and double white.
Blue Phlox “Phlox Divaricata”
Blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) abounds in drifts of white or sheets of blue. A deviation, with pinwheel-like petals of soft blue, is slated for a 1956 introduction.
The incredible powder blue cups of true Campanula persicifolia Telham Beauty dazzle in early summer.
Mrs. Carder’s innate modesty is surpassed only by her devotion to the primrose.
Even at 78, she continues to put in many long hours toward improving a flower that will always be associated with her name.
44659 by Roderick Wells