Primula bulleesiana

Primula bulleesiana

Here at the beginning of what has been predicted to be a very cold winter (although we haven’t seen any really cold weather yet), is a little spring…One of my favourite plants; Primula bulleesiana is a hybrid of P. bulleyana and P. beesiana, both of which are candelabra type primulas.

I was inspired to recreate a planting that I admired at Van Dusen Gardens many years ago (my son, in the stroller, is now 18).  I haven’t the space for such a big swath as they had, but I am achieving a similar effect on a smaller scale.

Primula bulleesiana at Van Dusen Gardens

Primula bulleesiana grows well in my shade garden, which benefits from sun through the morning hours.  The soil here is always moist providing the perfect conditions for this elegant primula.  They flower in late spring and the blossoms last for several weeks, with new flowers opening atop ever-lengthening scapes which eventually reach about two feet in height.From its bulleyana parent comes shades of golden yellow and orange and from the beesiana side; rose pink and purply tones.  An interesting crimson seems unique to Primula bulleesiana.

I purchased and planted three young primula bulleesiana in 2009 and let them go to seed, carefully avoiding weeding out the babies as they appeared.  Okay, maybe not so carefully, avoiding the weeding chore isn’t difficult for me.

Newly planted Primula bulleesiana

My patch of primula bulleesiana is expanding nicely, prompting memories of that visit to Van Dusen Gardens, when my son (and I) were much younger…

Primula bulleesiana in spring 2011

July 1994