Forced primrose

My little taste of spring is this Primula marginata I forced inside on a cool window. It grows happily along side my cyclamen.

This is a treat, Todd!

Did you dig it from you garden last fall?

Corinne

Yes, I have quite a clump so I actually keep this one as a potted plant all year-round.

Avery cheery idea!

What a beautiful! I have never seen this before. I have to put it on my wish list:) The lilac tone flowers are so lovely.
This is Primula sieboldii cultivar "Hokutosei". Hotukosei means North Star.

The only sieboldii I have is 'Geisha' and it is still under snow!

Nice P marginata Todd! That is one I want (surprise!), I bought seed and it didn't grow!

I think the seed needs to be fresh. I sowed some seeds off mine as soon as the pod split...left them outside all winter and in the spring they came up like grass! I now have about 100 one-year old seedlings...all have heavy farina but some variation in leaf shape and size. I hope some will bloom this spring to see if there is any variation in those. Our local rock garden club is delighted that I will have them for sale this spring!

I bet they are delighted! My best bet would be to get a plant, there are some sellers but that means buying more plants to justify postage!

Isn't it marvellous when you grow lots of plants from your own seed and then have to look after them all!

You might get a few flowers, some I grew from seed which are a mixed cross from my own plants had a smattering in their second year and this year they are smothered! They've been flowering for 3 months and still going.

I wonder if yours have crossed with others you have.

I was careful in my marginata crossing...I crossed by best two clones. However, I do have some open pollinated auricula which should bloom this year.....I'd say spring but looks like spring will be June this year. This has been the WORSE April on record. Every day is well below normal and my garden is still covered in snow for the most part. Normally by now we have had several days at 15 C or better but it has not risen above 5 C ! Today it was -1 C...AARRRGGGGHHHH! I can't believe I actually have a few crocus and iris reticulata open with such frigid temps.

Oh dear Todd! I feel your frustration, it sounds just like we had last year! I was ranting and raving then too! This year has been mild, but we do get the cold days which are supposed to be well above average and THEN we get cloud with damp cold north winds. It seems there has been only one or two afternoons in a fortnight warm enough to do anything, but this week has been slightly improved even though we should have had every day around 16C or over (normal 11C).

Today was actually HOT, must have gone above 21C, with sun!

These are my seed grown ones from a few seed I got off a P x bullesiana (a candelabra!), which died but had small yellow tinted bronze flowers. I can see characteristics from a few others I have (mostly scrappy), all a little different but the flowers are huge and 11 or 12" across the head of flowers.

Weird weather. I feel for you all over the pond who are still struggling with very cold temperatures. Last Sunday was like a summer's day here. My garden is romping away with everything growing rapidly. Primulas are doing well. This is pubescens Christine

This is Primula Johanna

Romulea

Allium paradoxum normale

Primula auricula Rajah

It seems it will be late May before my equivalents bloom this spring :( Romulea is not hardy here either :(

Todd - very pretty primula :-) I have a tiny one in my coldframe somewhere I raised from seed. Sorry to hear your weather has been so crummy - sounds a bit like our spring last year ...... sure hope things warm up soon - no fun to be covered in snow in april!

I have a few flowering in my greenhouse now that I raised from seed last year - here's one - Primula allioni. It's really tiny still so I was pleasantly surprised to see a flower! :-)

Rann, are any of your spring bulbs blooming yet? Despite day 10 of only 1 C , wind, drizzle and fog (I'm getting ready to commit suicide now!) I do have Crocus, Scilla tubergeniana, Galanthus, Eranthis and Iris reticulata open. Suppose to endure 3 more days of this then the weatherpeople claim it will be a mix of sun and cloud and 8 C on Monday! I'm not holding my breath!

Yes Todd - the crocus, galanthus and Iris reticulata are flowering nicely. My Chionodoxa 'Pink Giant' just started flowering and more are almost there.

The first spring flowering primulas are starting to flower as well ..... P. amoena opened it's first bloom on the 19th which incidentally is the first day of summer here (according to the old norse calendar - a national holiday) - I found that very fitting! :-)

I sure hope the weather people are right and things will start to warm up there soon! I know how you feel ......

It was suddenly summer today! I've been wearing a winter coat all week and today it
was 75deg F. So weird!

I have nothing as special as your primula but this was in bloom today so I'll share it.
I believe its a primula juliana.

Tam

I think it's the hybrid Wanda....it has julianae blood in it, but some vulgaris as well if memnory serves. It's an old cultivar but still very reliable.

Yes! You are good Todd. I was thinking it was Wanda but wasn't sure.
I got it as a left over from the Phila Flower Show a couple of years ago
from the NARGS display.

Tam