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Growing Primula
Primula or primroses are indeed one of the best of the shade garden perennial flowers. They're tough, they're colorful, they live for several years, they're easily propagated by home gardeners. What's not to like? Here's how you grow them.
Shade to part shade. Avoid the hot afternoon sun as it will burn the leaves Moist soil is good as the plant loves an even moisture level with great organic soil. Think of a woodland plant; mulched soil and even temperatures. You'll grow a great primrose in these conditions. Average fertility. I find that compost and mulch (apply the compost right on top of the mulch every spring) provides all the food the plant requires. Excessive moisture (clay soils) in the winter time will rot out the roots.
In the very early spring or immediately after blooming, the plants can be dug and divided. Digging up a large mother plant and you'll see the baby plants just falling away from the larger central plant. If they are not "falling" off, then you'll be able to see the different plants sharing a common point. Divide off the babies, getting a bit of root, and immediately replant.
This is a large family of plants and more and more are coming onto the market. In general, look for plants of Primula veris or cowslip. This small blooming plant has spawned an incredible number of hybrids and all are wonderful. Quite hardy with a generous bloomtime. Primula japonica or Japanese Primula is a damp soil plant with a monstrous mid-summer bloom (24" tall) and worth looking for in specialty garden shops. Primula hybrids. This is where we get into a bit of concern. The inexpensive hybrids from the Pacific Giant series are simply not hardy in USDA 4. The yellow is the toughest of the lot but the softer blues and reds are not reliably hardy. If in doubt as to whether it is a seed-generated plant or a division plant (or tissue culture) check the price - cheap ones are always seed generated (and cute) while the tougher versions are more expensive (and beautiful) :-) The tougher hybrids have more P. veris in them and are wonderful garden performers but they cost much more money.
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