Primroses have belonged to the English people for centuries. Queen Victoria’s tribute at the death of her prime minister, Disraeli, was a wreath of primroses.
Their journey to popularity in this country has been slow except on the Pacific Coast. Elsewhere, the fascination of growing primroses has been known to but few.
My favorite primroses are polyanthus primrose (Primula polyantha) and English primrose (P. vulgaris).
Polyantha, meaning many-flowered, is a hybrid that is supposed to have derived from the cowslip (P. veris), the oxlip (P. elatior), and the common or English primrose (P. vulgaris). Bunches of flowers characterize this variety on a single stem, about 10 inches in height.
The individual flowers have developed so in size through breeding that they are sometimes called colossal or silver dollar size. Occasionally they measure two-and-one-quarter inches across.
Phacelia Acaulis
P. acaulis is the name preferred by horticulturists for the English primrose, though it is called P. vulgaris by the botanist. Acaulis means stemless, which is not entirely true.
Improved by hybridists, it blooms for two months, ending at the same time as the polyanthus, though it starts blooming earlier, usually in March. The blue acaulis, strangely enough, may start to bloom ahead of the others.
Colors vary, from subtle tones to the most vivid sparkling white. The rarest are the blues.
Because of the great range of colors, they are even more beautiful when grown in drifts of single colors or blending shades in the border, under an old apple tree, or along the edge of a path.
Ideal For The City Garden
Ideal for the city garden, they have an intimate appeal and are never out of scale.
Particularly appropriate in a naturalized spot under flowering dogwood or other open trees, they also enjoy sharing the rich humus and pine needle mulch near rhododendrons.
An ideal spot is near deciduous pink shell azaleas (Azalea vaseyi), whose leaves provide summer shade.
The more common primroses, except Norway, will even adapt to growing under maples.
Try them with wild columbine and polemonium, and you will create a beautiful spot in a place that is often abandoned to discouragement.
Obstacles in Raising Primroses
In my garden, I have had to overcome some serious obstacles in raising primroses.
First, the soil is of a clay-like consistency over a hardpan, which breaks into a crust in the summer sun. Secondly, if there is a lack of rain, I may be unable to do supplementary watering.
Our shallow well, dug by an ancestor in 1721, has a family tradition of never having gone dry, but the drought of the summer of 1957 was beyond the memory of man.
My garden records show that the last good saturation of the ground was on April ninth, which was snow. The next appreciable rain came four months later.
Despite this, all my primroses survived, except some small seedlings transplanted to a sunny spot where they could not live without watering.
Certainly, this is proof that even an unskilled gardener can grow primrose even though all directions have stressed the constant need for moisture.
Proper Soil
It is doubly important to have the proper soil around the roots. My soil is mixed with about half partially decayed compost to a depth of about a foot. Soft and spongy, it will absorb moisture but drains well.
No plant should ever be in a depression where water can stand. This important rule, when broken, accounts for many winter losses.
The soil pH is not particularly important to any of the common primroses, except P. auricula, which requires alkaline soil.
Another planting medium might consist of soil and old manure added to leaf mold or peat moss that has been thoroughly saturated with water.
Never use dry peat moss alone because it absorbs too much moisture from the soil.
I Use Superphosphate
Superphosphate is used in the bottom of the hole when planting. In the spring, scratch in a little fertilizer, and later, when the weather warms up, mulch with manure or rough compost under the leaves and between the plants.
Do not allow any soil to settle on the leaves or crown, for primroses are sensitive to this.
In periods of drought, the pine woods are a good provider. I gather the top layer of needles and use it as a mulch.
The second layer of needles, which is partly disintegrated, is perfect for use on tiny seedlings when set out.
If extreme hot drying winds continue for many days, pine boughs or other evergreens can be laid on top of the plants to keep the leaves from losing too much moisture.
Withstanding Temperatures
Primroses that are a year or more old are hardy and able to withstand temperatures down to 20° degrees Fahrenheit. Many of my plants receive no other covering than nature provides, yet, I have not lost any.
If plants are in the sun, leaves will come through in better condition when covered with pine needles or evergreen boughs. However, avoid using material that will pack and exclude the air.
During Dry Weather
Plants in the sun seem to take a rest after blooming. Often the foliage will turn brown and drop off, to the dismay of gardeners, who think their plants have died. At this time, do not cultivate for fear of injuring the unseen crowns.
Be patient, for deep penetrating rains and the cooler fall weather will bring about a heartening revival.
New crisp leaves come forth, and robust growth goes on, even as other plants in the garden are dying.
Locate Grower In Spring
One of the most exciting ways to acquire primroses is to locate a grower in the spring, where you can pick your colors and fit them into your garden picture. Because they are thoroughly adaptable, primroses do not resent being transplanted in full bloom.
Another way to obtain top-quality plants is to order “divisions” of plants made after flowering or their “transplants” grown from choice hand-pollinated seed. The favorable planting time is fall.
When plants burst forth into radiant bloom the next year, you may wonder why you did not become acquainted with the primrose family long before.
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Polyantha primroses are among the gayest of early spring flowers.
44659 by Marian Bishop Alcott