PRIMULA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. PRIMULA. 651 



showiest of the Primulas, and is as 

 easy to grow and as hardy as many 

 others. Since its introduction from 

 Japan numerous beautiful varieties have 

 been raised, some of the most distinct 

 being clarkiceflora, lilacina - marginata, 

 fimbriata oculata, vincceflora, ccerulea-alba, 

 Mauve Beauty, Lavender Queen, laciniata, 

 and maxima. These possess a great 

 diversity of colour, and some have the 

 petals beautifully fringed. One of the 

 chief merits of these Primulas is that 

 they bloom early, flowering about the 

 month of April, when other flowering 



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 inches 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 inch long and more 



Primula rosca. 



plants are rare ; and another is that 

 they are remarkably free bloomers, 

 throwing up successive flower - stems, 

 and lasting a long time in perfection. 

 Their cultivation also is easy. This 

 species and its varieties delight in rich 

 soils and moisture, and given these 

 may be grown to perfection. In well- 

 manured soils the plants will attain 

 to 2 feet high, assuming a vigour and 

 freedom of flowering surprising to those 

 who believed in the fallacious notion 

 that moisture was opposed to its well- 

 being. A deciduous species and rooting 

 from the upper parts of the rhizome, it 

 should be planted 2 inches deep, prefer- 

 ably when dormant. Readily increased 

 by division at the same period. P. 



than | inch 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 

 by seeds sown in summer as soon as they 

 are ripe, giving the best results when 

 treated as a biennial. 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 feet, and covering acres 

 of ground with its yellow flowers. 



