Primrose
Hardy Perennial.
Six to ten inches.
Flowers of several colours, March to May.
The single garden Primrose resembles the wild
plant in every point except the colour of the
flowers, which have become by crossing crimson,
white, mauve, rose and blue.
Its culture is identical with that of the Polyanthus.
The double garden Primroses have a less robust
constitution than the wild stock.
They should be given good soil, containing plenty
of leaf-mould, in half-shade, and should be increased
by carefully dividing the roots between August
and October.
The best kinds are the white, lilac (a good grower),
pale yellow, A. Dumollin, purple, and Crimson
Velvet or Pompadour. The last is scarce.
The common wild Primrose is well worth a place
in the garden; shrubberies and by-comers may be
made delightful with it in spring.
It may be imported from its native haunts; but
the gardener is adjured not to injure Nature’s
garden anywhere for the sake of his own, and not
to encourage those who dig up the wild varieties
to sell to gardeners.
See Also : Primula
and Polyanthus
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