774 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



PRIMULA. 



throwing up successive flower-stems, and 

 lasting a long time in perfection. Their 

 cultivation also is easy. The best 

 soil for them is light, rich, free material, 

 consisting of fibry loam, leaf-mould, pul- 

 verised manure, and some grit to keep 

 it open. They are impatient of excessive 

 moisture, and when put in open ground 

 should be planted in well-drained soil, or 

 in raised positions in the rock-garden. 

 The roots creep just below the surface, 

 and form eyes from which any variety can 

 be easily propagated. P. Sieboldi is a 

 hardy herbaceous perennial, which loses its 

 leaves in autumn and winter, when it goes 

 to rest, and starts again early in spring. 



P. sikkimensis. — This is a beautiful 

 tall Primrose species, herbaceous in 

 our climate, and quite distinct. It 

 throws up strong flower-stems, 15 to 24 

 in. high, bearing numerous bell-shaped 

 flowers of a pale yellow, and having an 

 agreeable perfume. Some of the stems 

 bear a head of more than five dozen buds 

 and flowers, and each flower is nearly i 

 in. long and more than \ in. across. 

 It starts into growth in April or 

 early in May, and should have a shady 

 position when in bloom, as its delicate 

 blossoms suffer from cutting winds 

 and bright sunshine. It is hardy, 

 and loves deep, well-drained, and 

 moist ground ; but spots in the lower 

 parts of the rock-garden near water, or 

 situations in deep boggy places, suit it 

 best. It is readily increased, either by 

 seeds sown in summer as soon as they are 

 ripe, or by careful division in spring 

 or autumn. This Primrose is said to be 

 the pride of all the Primroses of the 

 mountains of India, inhabiting wet boggy 

 soil at elevations of from 12,000 to 

 17,000 ft., and covering acres of ground 

 with its yellow flowers. Coming near 

 this is the new kind, P. orbicularis^ from 

 Western China, a very pretty plant with 

 large yellow flowers an inch across and 

 almost like those of an Auricula. 



P. Stuarti {Stuarfs Primrose).— k 

 noble and vigorous yellow Primrose, 

 about 16 in. high. It has leaves nearly i 

 ft. long, and many-flowered umbels. A 

 light deep soil, never allowed to get dry 

 in summer, suits it well ; but the most 

 suitable place for it is some perfectly- 

 drained and sheltered slightly elevated 

 spot in the rock-garden. It may be 

 planted against the base of rocks, to 

 shelter it from cutting winds, though, 

 when sufficiently plentiful, this precaution 

 is unnecessary. Mountains of India. 

 . P. suffrutescens.— A ])lant growing in 

 small tufts on the heights of the Rocky 



Mountains, with narrow spoon-shaped 

 leaves and large flowers of rosy-purple 

 with a yellow eye, carried in small clusters 

 during April and May. It is best in a 

 sheltered and well-drained niche of the 

 rock-garden. 



P. villosa. — A lovely little Primrose. 

 The leaves have close-set teeth, and 

 are covered with glandular hairs, and 

 are viscid on both sides. Its flower 

 stems, also viscid, barely elevate the 

 sweet blooms above the foliage. It 

 is well adapted for the rock-garden, in 

 which it may be grown in any position, 

 but it requires light peaty or spongy loam, 

 about one-half being fine sand, and its 

 roots should be kept moist during the 

 dry season. It is easily increased by 

 division, and may be raised from seed. 

 Varieties are sometimes, but rarely, found 

 with white flowers. It is sometimes 

 grown under the name of P. viscosa. 

 The variety nivea or nivalis is a beauti- 

 ful plant, dwarf and neat in growth, 

 producing trusses of lovely white flowers, 

 which are quite distinct from any other 

 in cultivation. It is of very easy culture, 

 and may be grown either in pots or in 

 the open ground. It deserves a select 

 position in the rock-garden or in the 

 border, a light free soil, and plenty of 

 water during the warm season. It flowers 

 in April and May. Alps. Similar to P. 

 villosa are P. ciliata, Steifti, hirsuta, 

 piibescens., rJiceiica., pedemontatia., cenensis, 

 and Di?iyatia, charming little species 

 from the Alps. All thrive under the same 

 conditions as P. villosa. 



P. viscosa. — A plant of the granite 

 soils of the Alps and Pyrenees, and so 

 near P. villosa that the two are often 

 regarded as one, though kept distinct by 

 botanists. This differs mainly in the 

 longer tube of the flowers and their 

 longer stems, though there are other 

 small differences. It develops a thick 

 stem of several inches high, often 

 branched like a tiny shrub. The leaves 

 are large, covered with hairs, and fringed 

 at the edges, and the flowers, which come 

 in large bunches during April and May, 

 are of rosy-lilac with a white centre. The 

 plant is easily grown in peaty soil between 

 sandstone rocks, but it objects to chalk 

 or strong limestone soils. It has been 

 freely used in crossing with other kinds, 

 especially P. auricula. P. Beniince is a 

 beautiful wild cross with P. hirsuta, and 

 l^ears large rosy-purple flowers. Crossed 

 with P. iiitegrifolia^ it has given P. mure- 

 tiana., a fine hybrid, in which its own 

 influence is apparent in the many-flowered 

 heads of rich deep purple. One of the 



