Primula advice wanted
- To: s*@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
- Subject: Primula advice wanted
- From: J* S*
- Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 09:45:36 -0500
Hi all,
Seeds of Primula forrestii from the Alaska Rock Garden Society's expedition
to Yunnan, China, are germinating rapidly now. Two different accessions of
P. secundiflora are germinating too. Finally, three different P.
sinopurpurea are just barely starting to germinate.
How similar are these three species in their cultural requirements and
cold/heat hardiness? I presume that they need some moisture all season
long, do they not?
In my woodland garden, PP. veris and vulgaris raised from 1999 seeds and
set out last spring, are coming up and starting to bloom. Some plants of
P. sieboldii raised from 1999/2000 seed and set out last fall are coming
up. Those sieboldii with the most sun exposure are growing the fastest
just now.
I have a sentimental attachment to P. vulgaris because it was a prominent
spring wildflower blooming in the neighborhood where I lived on the
Zueriberg in Zurich for 2 years, about 40 years ago. For some reason, the
homes in that area had P. vulgaris in their shaded front gardens the way
most folks have dandelions. I loved it! Of course, they had no grass
there. A couple of the plants I now have blooming were dug from the front
yard of my sister-in-law's apartment building in Wallisellen (a Zurich
suburb) last spring. They seed themselves around there, and they obviously
have some cultivated ancestry too, as there are pinks and white forms as
well as the regular pale yellow flowered types.
What is the longevity of Primula (Chinese or European) in climates like
central Indiana? Zurich is closer to USDA cold zone 7 than to our zone 5,
and it's AHS Heat Zone must by several degrees cooler in summer than ours
here.
Happy Springtime!
Regards,
Jim
*************************************************
Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA Tel. +1-317-896-3925
