Primula comes from the Latin word “primus” meaning first, in reference to their early-flowering habit. Also, the name of this wide-spread genus “Primulaceae” was taken from the Italian word “primavera “which means spring.
The three most popular Primula species in South Africa are:
Fairy Primrose (Primula malacoides), German Primrose (Primula obconica), and the Common Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
Primroses have many uses
Gardeners love to fill borders and pots with them for the splashes of welcome colour they provide in a somewhat barren winter and spring landscape.
The flowers of the German Primrose (Primula obconica) and the Common Primrose (Primula vulgaris) last well in a vase and make enchanting tiny bouquets.
Primroses are also used in wildlife friendly gardens as they are a favourite food source for bees, butterflies and other pollinators when resources are scarce.
When to plant Primroses
Autumn is the right time to plant Primroses (Primula), and although most gardeners prefer to buy their primroses in trays or small pots, they can also be grown from seed, to flower the following spring.
Primula malacoides 'White'Fairy Primrose (Primula malacoides)
Fairy primroses remain firm favourites with South African gardeners for their masses of blooms throughout winter and spring. And, although they have a delicate appearance, they are tough little plants which have clusters of flowers carried on erect, hairy stems, well above the dense rosettes of attractive, mid-green foliage. Garden varieties of the fairy primrose vary slightly in height, but generally they mature at approximately 30cm in height with a 20cm spread.
In the Garden:
Scatter some fairy magic throughout your garden by tucking fairy primroses into areas of the garden which receive semi-shade to sun. The flowers come in delightful shades of lilac, purple, pink, carmine-red and white, and gardeners love to use them in flower and bulb borders. You can even create your own meadow garden by planting them between ornamental grass-like plants, and if space is limited, include them with other winter and spring flowering plants in pots, window boxes, and hanging baskets, where fairy primulas will add vertical accent to the arrangement.
Cultivation:
Fairy primulas grow well almost throughout the country and are hardy to frost and low temperatures, but do not like heat together with high humidity. They do very well in the winter rainfall regions, and in the summer rainfall regions they must be watered regularly.
Trays of seedlings are available from April, and in South Africa it is best to plant these no later than mid-May. Select sites which are protected from strong winds, and plant in well-prepared beds where the soil drains well, and is rich in organic matter like compost.
Members can click here to read more about the Fairy Primrose
Primula acaulis Image by Jenő Szabó from PixabayCommon Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
The wild primrose is a cheerful little flower with its pretty pale yellow flowers with orange-yellow centres, peeking above a rosette of fat, wrinkled leaves - like a little splash of sunshine in a bleak wintry world. In their countries of origin primroses are synonymous with spring and are one of the very first wild flowers to show their faces - even their name derives from the Latin for “first rose”.
Modern hybrids are little gems, and although they may only grow around 12cm tall and 15cm wide, they are hard to ignore when in full bloom and covered in a profusion of intensely coloured flowers which come in every colour except green.
In the Garden & Home:
These low-growing primulas thrive in partially shaded spots, lighting up pathways, containers, and flower beds with their bold, cheerful blooms. This makes them a real favourite with gardeners.
Common primroses are also popular flowering indoor pot plants, and look lovely planted in groups in low bowls placed on tables where there beauty can easily be admired.
Indoors Cultivation:
Indoors they do best in a cool but brightly lit room. Feed your potted plants every 1-2 weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser for flowering plants. Water regularly and don’t let the soil dry out completely, but also avoid overwatering which could lead to root rot.
Outdoors Cultivation:
Common primroses prefer cool, humid climates, and do well in cool maritime situations. Under these growing conditions they can be treated as perennials, and although they love to bask in the spring sunshine, as the weather warms and the last flowers fade, the plants need to be kept cool and in the shade throughout the hot summer months. In hot summer regions they are grown as annuals and discarded for summer blooms.
Members can click here to read more about the Common Primrose
Primula obconica Image by Stefan Schweihofer from PixabayGerman Primrose (Primula obconica)
German Primroses have a completely different colour range from other primroses and come in lovely shades of salmon, purple-blue, white, orange, rose and magenta. Although they will only grow about 20 to 30cm tall and wide, these small plants with their clusters of cheerful flowers are like miniature floral bouquets.
In frost free regions of South Africa German primroses are real assets in the shady winter garden as they are tough plants that flower profusely in winter and spring to early summer, and many long-blooming, large-flowered varieties are available. Gardeners love to use them as a border to the flower garden as they combine beautifully with spring flowering shrubs and bulbs.
Indoors Cultivation:
Because they are frost tender, German primroses are popular indoor pot plants for cool but brightly lit spaces. Feed your potted plant every 1-2 weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser for flowering plants. Water regularly and don’t let the soil dry out completely, but also avoid overwatering which could lead to root rot.
Outdoors Cultivation:
These primroses thrive in moist, rich soil and are semi-hardy to frost if planted in a protected position outdoors. In colder regions they can be grown under sheltered patios etc. planted into pots, window boxes and hanging baskets.
Members can click here to read more about the German Primrose
Conclusion:
If you already know these Primroses they are sure to be on your winter garden shopping list, but if you have not tried them before or are a beginner gardener, give them a try, you won’t be disappointed.