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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS aueicula 



in April and May, l-lj in. across, soft 

 yellow, rarely white, lilac, or purplish, 

 with slightly notched, roundish coroUa 

 lobes. Umbels sessile, so that the pedicels 

 resemble scapes. 



Notwithstanding the undoubted charms 

 of the exotic species and hybrids described 

 above, the grace and beauty of our 

 Common Primrose are difficxilt to equal 

 or surpass. The inclination to vary in 

 colour from the normal yellow has been 

 promptly noted and utilised by gardeners, 

 and now there are many fine coloured 

 varieties in cultivation, including shades 

 of red, lilac, rose, mauve, bluish-violet 

 &o. Some have been given names, and 

 among tliese may be mentioned : Crim- 

 son Banner, deep brownish-crimson; 

 Brilliant, rich vermilion - red ; Fairy 

 Queen, pure white ; King of Crimsons, 

 bright rich crimson; Virginia, pure 

 white ; Violetta, beautiful violet-purple ; 

 Queen of Violets, deep purple-violet; 

 Scott Wilson, bluish-purple, and many 

 others. The so-caUed ' Blue ' Primroses, 

 to which Mr. G. F. Wilson of Weybridge 

 has devoted so much attention, are 

 represented by the last 3 varieties above 

 mentioned. So far a really 'blue' 

 Primrose has not yet been developed, but 

 with careful and continual selection of 

 the deepest purple and violet shades that 

 colour may be ultimately reached. A very 

 fine large-flowered form of the Common 

 Primrose, called Evelyn Arlcwright, has 

 appeared within the past few years. The 

 blossoms are of a beautiful soft yellow, and 

 close on 2 in. across, while the plant as a 

 whole is very vigorous, somewhat looser 

 in habit and with larger leaves than the 

 ordinary type. 



Besides the single-flowered varieties, 

 there are also many beautiful double ones 

 with almost as great a range of colouring — 

 white, mac, purple, rose, crimson, and 

 yellow being represented, often with 

 fancy names. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 Common Primrose is easily grown in rich 

 moist loamy soil and leaf mould, and 

 may be used in a variety of ways to 

 make the garden beautiful in spring. 

 Shaded banks, the edges of borders or 

 shrubberies, nooks and crannies of the 

 rockery, are a few of the suitable places 

 for it. Indeed there is no reason why 

 it shoulcf not invade suitable out-of- 

 the-way corners in the kitchen garden 

 where it will not be much interfered with, 



and allowed to grow as in a state of 

 nature. 



The plants may be increased by 

 dividing the growths after flowering and 

 planting them in rich soil, taking care to 

 well water them and to shade from the 

 sun. Seeds may also be sown as soon as 

 ripe, and a large number of plants can 

 thus be obtained for flowering the follow- 

 ing spring. 



The ' Blue ' and coloured varieties 

 being more or less the result of the 

 gardener's handiwork are not quite so 

 vigorous as the Common Yellow Primrose, 

 nor do they seed so freely. The offsets 

 must be very carefully detached, as they 

 are only sparingly produced, and are best 

 cultivated in pots imtil a sufiiciently 

 large stock has been raised to admit of 

 planting out, when they must receive the 

 same rich soil and shady positions re- 

 quired by the Common Primrose. These 

 remarks also apply to the double varieties, 

 and it may be stated as a fact that the 

 nearer the flowers approach blue the 

 more dehcate and the more difiScult to 

 grow and increase are the plants bearing 

 them as a rule. 



P. wulfeniana. — A vigorous Alpme 

 species related to P. spectabilis, with 

 lance-shaped spathulate pointed shining 

 green leaves having rough cartilaginous 

 margins. Flowers in April and May, 

 large, deep purple-violet. 



Culture rfc. as above. Moist sandy 

 loam with a little chalk or hme in the 

 rockery. 



P. yunnanensis. — A beautiful Chinese 

 species closely allied to the Himalayan 

 P. imiflora. Leaves ovate-oblong, crenu- 

 lar, mucronate, smooth, on short narrowly 

 winged stalks. Flowers in July, violet- 

 purple, with ovate, entire corolla-lobes. 



Culture d-c. as above. In rich soil 

 between pieces of limestone rock. 



AURICULA (Primula AuRictrtA). — 

 Since the seventeenth centm^y the Auri- 

 cula has received particular attention 

 from gardeners in England and on 

 the Continent, chiefly Holland, but for 

 centuries before that had been a favourite 

 flower, and there is little doubt that as 

 we know it to-day the Auricula has been 

 obtained by crossing and intercrossing 

 varieties not only of P. Auricula proper 

 but others nearly related. At one time 

 cottagers, especially in Lancashire, were 

 very keen on growing Auriculas, and new 



