A. GOOD GARDEN PRIMULA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20702, 27 April 1929, Page 7

A. GOOD GARDEN PRIMULA.

If I were asked to name what in my opinion was the best garden plant that lhad been introduced to cultivation during the last five years, my choice would be the handsome primrose, Primula Flor'indie. It is undoubtedly one of the finest plants of real garden value that has come to us from the East, and takes its place alongside other notabilities like many of its relatives, some of the rhododendrons, and a few gentians and meconopsis. It has had a phenomenal rise to fame—probably more rapid than any other plant—for it was introduced by Captain Kingdon Ward only in 1922, and already its cultivation is widespread. That this has been the case is due, primarily, to its ease of culture, its prepossessing beauty, and the fact that it flourishes under our garden conditions I at home. While many of its relatives are plants for the connoisseur, P. Florindte is a plant for the gardening fraternity at large. It is easily raised from seed sown in spring, provided it is given the usual conditions, and it comes true to type, unlike some of the species in the candelabra section. The best plan to adopt with most of these hardy species is to sow outside in a cold frame, making up a good bed for the seedlings and keeping the plants as near the glass as possible. Seed is now offered by the majority of good seedsmen. The plants are in full flower from the end of June until late August, providing a magnificent display at a time when many plants of this nature are over for the year. In front of the shrub border, or by the waterside, it is equally successful, provided a good deep medium loam is supplied so that the plant may reach its full vigour and attain its full height of three feet to four feet. It is a most decorative plant, closely allied to P. sikkimensis and resembling this species with its graceful cluster of drooping yellow bells, but differing in its handsome rounded leaves that form a perfect carpet of green from which the tall flower stems arise. It is. not a rampant grower, but is vigorous and forms large crowns which can be divided when the clump becomes too large. Frequent division is good for the plant, for it promotes better flowering. When raised from seed it is true that it remains true to type in so far as flower colour and general habit are concerned, but it would appear that there are two forms of the plant which differ in time of flowering by about six weeks. This is probably due to the fact that one of the original plants from which seed was gathered was growing at a greater altitude and, consequently, later in flowering. The strong probability is, I think, that under garden conditions at home this difference, chiefly due to environmental conditions, will tend to disappear. This fact, however, does not m any way detract from its value as a garden plant of considerable merit and one that may be regarded as a worthy asset to our gardens.—F., in Country Life. J