Primrose, one of the first to bloom!

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Bright-coloured flowers open along edges, in rock gardens and in garden boxes while most other deciduous plants have lost their cover. The primrose (Primula) is a very easy perennial grown above all for its autumn, winter and spring blooming; give it soil that is rather rich, well drained and cool, and it will enchant you.

A must-have in the garden, caring for it is easy and requires little attention, whereas its  blooming will enchant you.

Planting, sowing primrose

Planting of primrose purchased in pots or in nursery pots

Plant the garden primrose from the nursery pot from mid-autumn to early spring in a blend of soil mix and garden soil.
You can also add organic soil conditioner such as manure and seaweed.

• Water regularly at the beginning if it doesn’t rain.

Sowing primroses from purchased seeds

From seed, sow primrose starting from late spring for it to have settled in by fall.

If going along this path, sow in a tray and transplant 1 month later, still simply in a larger tray. Yet another month later, transplant to a nursery pot. Finally, transfer to the ground starting in mid-autumn.

• At each of these steps, regularly water but not too much, simply enough to keep the soil mix moist.

Three ways to start primroses, and when to do it

Primroses can be bought ready-grown, raised from seed or multiplied from plants you already have. The calendar is what separates the three.

Whichever route you take, keep the soil moist without ever soaking it.

Caring for primrose

Remove wilted flowers as they die off to boost bearing of new flowers.

Your primroses can be propagated through crown division after the blooming.

In the event of a slug invasion, make the most of the ashes from your fireplace to fight them off.

• Spread a thin mulch of leaf mould or garden compost around the clumps, keeping it clear of the crown itself, because primroses prefer consistently moist soil and tend to flower less freely when it dries out.
• Primroses grown in pots are a favourite target of vine weevil, so lift and check the rootball whenever a plant wilts despite moist compost and you find notches bitten out of the leaf margins.
• Wear gloves when handling Primula obconica, whose leaves contain primin, a substance that causes an itchy contact dermatitis in sensitive people.

Which primrose to choose?

The genus stretches from low bedding primroses for pots and edges to tall moisture-lovers for a pond margin. The table below sets out the most widely sold types side by side.

All there is to know about primrose

Primroses are perennials that are particularly appreciated for their fall, winter and spring blooming and the bright colors of their flowers.

They are also used as indoor plants (Primula malacoides and abconica) where they stand out wherever they’re set.
Sometimes they’ll need to be set outside overnight to let them rest a bit in cool air.

In flower beds, along edges, in rock gardens or in garden boxes, primroses are very easy plants to maintain and are very ornamental when most other deciduous plants have lost their cover…

Why not try to sprinkle your mixed salads with flowers and also toss in a few young primrose leaves, they’re perfectly edible!

• Read also: Flowers that decorate gardens, terraces and balconies during Christmas