“Primrose” or Primula botanically speaking is by far my favorite winter/spring flower each like a flower bouquet amongst the dormant drab background of winter. Primula can be traced to the Latin word “Primus” meaning first (Prime) one of the first to open in spring. In-fact although we commercially plant the fabulous primrose from late Feb-March they have been found blooming late December into May here in the NW.

Primula are generally a perennial flower low growing and clumping. You can leave most varieties for years at a time enjoying a seasonal burst of color from an ever more crowded clump of individuals. We usually dig our primroses each fall (late Aug- late Oct.) breaking up the original plant into several new individual plants then replanting them for next season. Worry not as they will not spread and take over.

Planting your primula is easy and they grow well in most soils from semi wet to nearly dry, though they tend to produce more new plants when planted in an area where beauty bark or compost is present. If you are really adventurous and patient the crown of each plant can be cut into fourths across the top like a pie, dipped in fungicide and planted on to grow 4x the excitement.You don’t have to baby these plants as they’ve been frozen- run over- tilled up- leaves burned with summer heat, or weed-whacked down and still come back strong.

Cold Hardiness, Amazingly these spectacular splashes of color thrive in cool weather even when being pretty frozen for days at a time.

Prolong blossoming by fertilizing with a low nitrogen fertilizer and picking of dying blooms weekly. You can find fertilizers tailored to blooming at most plant stores or even rose fertilizers work great.