8 primroses with exceptional flowering
To brighten up your garden from the very start of spring
Contents
Primroses are among the first flowers to appear in spring. These hardy perennial plants are invaluable in a garden, as they offer a wide range of colours, with sometimes very bright shades for our visual delight. They also display varied forms, from candelabra primroses with flower collars perched on a stem to garden primroses producing large solitary flowers on crinkled foliage, not to mention the auricula primroses that are planted in rockeries. Another advantage is that primroses are easy to care for, provided you choose a semi-shaded location and plant them in cool, well-drained soil. Discover our selection of primroses with exceptional flowering to fill your garden with blooms as soon as the sunny days arrive!
The 'Elizabeth Killelay' primrose, a variegated flower with rare colours.
Here is a small and elegant primrose that is quite remarkable! The primrose ‘Elizabeth Killelay’ features very double flowers, a brown-red colour edged with cream-white, with a frilled appearance and a golden-yellow centre. This colour contrast, unusual in a garden, is enhanced by the tender green of the crinkled leaves arranged in a well-filled neck.
The primrose ‘Elizabeth Killelay’ blooms from March to May. Standing at 15 cm tall, it is well-suited for planting in a border or a damp rockery, alongside white flowers that will highlight its original colours. Hardy down to -20°C, it forms a wide carpet of evergreen foliage in semi-shaded conditions and in humus-bearing, cool soil.
Primula (x) hybrida ‘Elizabeth Killelay’
Japanese primrose 'Apple Blossom', a delightful soft pink
If you love delicate spring flowers, the Japanese primrose ‘Apple Blossom’ may well charm you. This 60 cm tall candelabra primrose bears clusters of small, soft pink flowers suspended on its flowering stem. With their coral-red centres, they resemble the lovely colour of apple blossoms. The delicate hues are enhanced by the pale green of the large dentate leaves.
The Japanese primrose ‘Apple Blossom’ blooms from May to July, if planted in a moist medium, near a pond or stream, as it is a plant that loves water and prefers shade. Hardy, it withstands cold well. Use it, for example, to create a flower bed in the shade of trees and near a water source, and pair it with small ferns, hostas, and lovely bleeding hearts.
Primula japonica ‘Apple Blossom’ (photo Staudengärtnerei Forssman – Flickr)
Discover other Primula - Primroses
View all →
Available in 0 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 0 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 0 sizes
The primrose Primula vialii 'Alison Holland', featuring very elegant white spikes.
Want a flower close to orchids? Try the Primula vialii ‘Alison Holland’, which belongs to the category of orchid primroses. With its long spikes of tightly packed pure white flowers, it adorns gardens with great elegance. This variety was developed from Primula vialii, a species from China, very original with its bicoloured pink and purple flower spikes. Between May and July, you can enjoy the spectacle of the 12 cm conical flower spikes, adorned with long, pale green slightly pilous leaves.
Primula vialii ‘Alison Holland’ prefers to be planted in cool to moist, rich soil and in shade. As it reaches a height of 50 cm, you can use its white and very graphic appearance to rhythm your pond borders or your flower beds located in the shade of trees or a dense border.
Primula vialii ‘Alison Holland’
Read also
7 yellow primroses to grow in the gardenThe primrose Primula vulgaris 'Strong Beer', a beautiful violet-blue.
The Primula vulgaris ‘Strong Beer’ blooms early, from February, bringing life to the garden or pots throughout winter. The flowers last until May. This primrose is unique due to its bluish-purple colour veined with white displayed by its solitary flowers. Very double, turbinate, and glossy, the flowers sit atop small cushions of medium green, crinkled leaves.
In a garden, you can place Primula vulgaris ‘Strong Beer’ in shade or sun, always in fresh, rich soil. These small primroses, reaching 20 cm, pair well with snowdrops, daffodils, and forget-me-nots. They also have the added benefit of living for several years in a garden.
Primula vulgaris ‘Strong Beer’ (photo Guido)
The primrose Primula rosea 'Grandiflora', a cheerful pink in the garden
The pink primrose or Primula rosea ‘Grandiflora’ is native to the Himalayas. From March to April, this lovely 15 cm primrose produces clusters of bright pink flowers with yellow centres, brightening up the garden. The flowers are grouped in clusters of 4 to 12 on a single stem. The large, dentate leaves of a rich green appear after the flowers.
Primula rosea ‘Grandiflora’ enjoys both shade and sun, making it ideal for decorating a moist rockery or the edge of a small waterfall. To highlight its vibrant colour, you can plant it alongside, for example, white astilbes, violets, and Alpine lady’s mantle.
Primula rosea ‘Grandiflora’
The primrose Primula denticulata 'Alba', for a snowball effect.
The primrose Primula denticulata ‘Alba’ is also known as the “snowball” because its clusters of white flowers resemble small floral spheres. They bloom from March to May, brightening the garden with vibrant touches and original white flower balls, featuring a dentate edge and a vivid yellow centre. The flowering “snowballs” are perched on sturdy stems, adorned at their base with elongated, dark green leaves, lighter on the underside.
You can plant Primula denticulata ‘Alba’ in full sun or partial shade in a preferably moist location. This primrose, reaching 35 cm in height, particularly enjoys being planted in clayey, humus-bearing soil. The striking whiteness of its flower balls is beautifully highlighted when planted alongside blue Siberian squills, such as the Scilla siberica ‘Spring Beauty’.
Primula denticulata ‘Alba’
The primrose Primula eliator 'Verystar Lemon', a ray of sunshine in the garden.
The primrose Primula eliator ‘Verystar Lemon’ is a small plant that is very floriferous in spring. From April to May, it produces flower spikes adorned with 10 to 30 light lemon-yellow flowers, above a cushion of crinkled, dark green foliage. The foliage is arranged in a rosette and is semi-evergreen.
If you ensure it is planted in humus-bearing, cool soil, the primrose Primula eliator ‘Verystar Lemon’ can be positioned in non-burning sunlight or partial shade. It brightens and enlivens borders and window boxes with its lovely sunny colour. You can place tulips and forget-me-nots alongside it.
Primula eliator ‘Verystar Lemon’ (photo Andy Mabbett- Wikimedia)
The double primrose 'Belarina Cobalt Blue', an exceptional blue
By planting the double primrose ‘Belarina Cobalt Blue’ in your garden or containers, you benefit from a small floriferous plant with a rare and spectacular colour. This early-flowering plant blooms from January to April. On its crinkled and lush foliage, a beautiful bright green, appear very double flowers of a vivid blue that seems almost luminescent in the shade. The centre of the flowers is navy blue and the edges of the central petals are highlighted with a touch of violet.
The double primrose ‘Belarina Cobalt Blue’ has been derived from Primula vulgaris or garden primrose. It is used as a biennial and offers a carpet of evergreen foliage 15 cm high along with the flowers. These flowers are 4 cm in diameter and are slightly fragrant. Use them to create a stunning floral ambiance in woodland settings and plant them under trees with hyacinths or crocuses.
Primula vulgaris ‘Belarina Cobalt Blue’ (photo Daderot – Wikimedia)
For further reading
If you wish to discover the world of primroses, you can read our comprehensive guide dedicated to their cultivation and browse our complete collection of primroses.
And let yourself be guided in your plantings by adopting our Plantfit web application!
- Subscribe!
- Contents
Comments