We grow primroses in the garden area recently. As it turned out, they are very unpretentious. Primrose is a great variety of varieties, large and small. Growing a separate rosette and spreading carpet. Primal varieties exist in any color scheme. And every lover of flowers will find those varieties that match her wishes.
In the natural environment primrose like to grow in the mountains. Some people get along better with stones. Others grow under the canopy of the forest along the banks of mountain rivers and streams. Still others grow in Persian carpets on a thin layer of soils, covering the steep rocks. And there are primroses, preferring wetlands. But, despite the fact that in nature primrose grow in different places - they all will perfectly live in your garden.
Primrose - flowers are shade-loving. They do not tolerate the summer hot sun even in our latitudes. Therefore, planting them is better protected by shrubs or broad-leaved trees. When choosing a place, remember that the land should be fertile and easy. Primrose very much like moisture. Therefore, a place in the lowlands, where other plants grow poorly, will be ideal for them. According to the chemical composition, the most suitable soil is alkaline. In other words, the bitches for primroses will have to be limed. As we see, in comparison with many other floral plants, the primula does not need special conditions. Which varieties to choose?
The primrose is pink.
It first blooms in the gardens of the middle belt of Russia and the near abroad. This Tibetan primula is usually found in wetlands. Therefore, she is not afraid of spring floods. It is a sin not to use it in late-growing areas of the garden. Even here at the end of April you can already see the first flowers of pink primrose. This flower has a remarkable feature - peduncles appear before the leaves. The leaves themselves appear only at the time of staining the buds. Propagation of the primrose pink by dividing the bush during the flowering period. At the same time, you can pull out the rosettes for rooting. Root them in the penumbra. Cover with a greenhouse should not be.
In the flower garden primula pink is best planted in the foreground, next to the snowdrops. Because this bright primrose is one of the few flowering plants of early spring. She will dominate the compositions for a long time, until the perennials gain strength.
Primula is finely toothed.
This primula differs from the previous one, like heaven and earth. The most colorful feature of the primrose is fine-toothed are its leaves. In the early spring, this Himalayan species has leaves of unusual shape, coiled. The flowers bloom only by mid-May. They can have a variety of colors: from white to dark purple or ruby red. If you plant flowers from the mixture, then most often others grow white or lilac. Therefore, to grow primulas of finely toothed other colors, you should not buy mixes, but very specific varieties.
This primrose will require more space than usual. If at the beginning of flowering the peduncles are low (about 15-20 cm), then by the end they reach 40 cm. Almost the same length is reached by the leaves. In the drought period curtain can wither, so watch for soil moisture and shelter from direct sunlight. Propagate the primula finely toothed, when the bush will have more than five outlets. It can be divided by cutting the roots with a knife. Do not forget to disinfect wounds. But it should be done in the spring, until the end of flowering. In August, primrose finely toothed begins the process of bookmarking the flower buds of the future season. These kidneys are afraid of frost, and may die at minus five degrees. Therefore, it is better to cover them with light non-woven material before the very first frosts. Do not put a rosette on the dry leaves. Otherwise curtain can be overtaken and there will be no benefit from such a plant.
Primula prugonitskaya.
She is also a primrose hybrid Yulia, Vanda's primrose. Its home is the Caucasus Mountains. However, the first cultural hybrids were withdrawn in the Czech city of Pruhonice. This plant forms turfs up to 10 cm high. The blossom begins in early May. Leaves in this period are wrinkled, small. Some varieties have a purple color. These hybrid primroses grow well in the middle band. Propagate them in a traditional way - by dividing rhizomes in the spring. But it is possible to separate the sockets in late July and early August. In this case, the plants need to be covered before the cold.
Primula earflap.
This primrose grows in the mountainous regions of Europe, and is especially loved by the British. Of course, in the gardens grown mostly decorative hybrid varieties, obtained by crossing the primrose is earwax and pubescent. In England, such hybrids are called auricles. In this country, a real cult of this flower was created. There are clubs of fans of auriculas, regular exhibitions are held. And numerous varieties are brought to perfection. Auriculum have an unusual appearance. Their leaves are very different from the leaves of other primroses. They are smooth, fleshy, bluish, evergreen, can be with denticles and mealy coating. These primulas have a thick branchy stem, at the ends of which there are rosettes. Change of leaves occurs quickly, therefore the bases of leaves are bare. They must be regularly mulched with a mixture of limestone crumb and sand. It is useful to add humic soil to the mulch. When choosing a site for planting, you need to look not only for shaded areas, but also having a slope. This is to ensure that the water does not stay in the axils of the leaves, and they do not hurt.
Primrose Siebold.
This primrose also has characteristic features only for it - it loses all leaves by the middle of the season. But it is widely expanding, turning the garden site into a blossoming carpet. It looks very impressive. They bloom in late May. Flowering lasts more than two weeks. In our region, you can often find flowers of scarlet or light lilac color. And in Europe colors are much more diverse. It is believed that the wild ancestors of the primroses of Zybold are from the moist mountain forests of Tibet. Therefore, very much like raw dark places. These primroses can be used both in the spring and in the autumn, until the middle of September. Technology is the same as other primroses. The only nuance when planting in autumn - the separated parts of the plant should be large. Only in this way will they survive the winter without consequences.
Giant primroses.
The giant primroses are: primroses of Florinda, Sikkim, Bisa, Bullay, Japanese and a number of others. The homeland of these primulas is the swampy meadows of Tibet. Therefore, when planting, choose the lowest and shady areas of your garden. The giant primrose has powerful roots. They ensure the stability of bushes with a high peduncle (up to 100 cm) in marshy soils. These are the most flowering primroses. They bloom in late June - in July. In the longline primroses, the flowers are located on peduncles with whorls. Peduncles of campanulate primulas are even higher - more than 120 cm. They are crowned with umbellate inflorescences containing up to 20 campanulate flowers. Large leaves (up to 30 cm) are collected in basal rosettes. The tissue of the leaves is tender, on hot days requiring additional moisturizing. These primroses are planted in spring until the moment of flowering.
Polyanthus.
It's hard to believe that polyanthus are hybrids of primroses of the common - a modest simple plant. So much they differ. Polyanthus have very large primrose flowers. Not infrequently their diameter reaches 7 - 8 centimeters. In their coloring, all the shades of orange, yellow, pink, red, bordeaux, and lilac color are combined. There are original two and three-color varieties, with yellow or white edging, terry. The peak of flowering is in mid-May. Peduncles reach 25 cm in length. And if the flower bud is absent, then before us the primrose is boneless. Freshness of greenery, these primroses pleases the eye until the frost. Unfortunately, fleshy leaves attract winter rodents. Therefore, the polyanthus should be covered with coniferous paws, so that the mice do not eat out the core of the plants. Propagation by bush division either in early spring, or during flowering. It is convenient to share bushes in late July. At this time, they themselves seem to fall into pieces. Newly planted polyanthus should be sheltered for the winter especially carefully. Nevertheless, gentle polyanthus are not very adapted to our winters.
We sum up.
Growing primroses on the soda area, you should remember - that all primroses are shade-loving. They love the moisture. Therefore, primrose is perfect for low-lying areas of the garden, where other plants grow poorly. After flowering, the primrose has an active vegetative period. They rest until the end of July. Then the growth of the leaves is resumed, the peduncles of the new season are laid. In this regard, most primroses are best transplanted in the spring - before or during flowering.
Primrose is easy to grow from seeds. If you have collected them yourself - remember, they best germinate right after collection. Seeds can be sown both in autumn in the open ground, and on seedlings at the end of March. If it is more convenient for you to plant seeds in the spring, then they should be stored in the refrigerator. And for hardening, you can hold two or three weeks in the freezer. This will increase their germination.
Primrose warm in autumn can bloom repeatedly. You should not rejoice at this. This blooming will go to the detriment of spring. Therefore, it is better to remove flowers. As for the leaves, they should not be cut in autumn. They should be removed early in the spring, as soon as the snow melts. True professionals in floriculture Englishmen recommend diving seedlings in pots and growing primroses in them (especially in the case of auricles) for two years. And only after that plants are planted on a permanent place of growth.
Have a good summer season!