PRIMULA CONFERENCE. 



IQI 



The President then asked Mr. Wilks to read Miss G. Jekyll's 

 paper on 



"PRIMULAS FROM A GARDEN POINT OF VIEW." 



Miss Gertrude Jekyll, V.M.H. : When we consider the main 

 uses of our garden Primroses we find that they fall into three groups, 

 namely those for borders, those for the rock garden, and those for 

 boggy ground. The border kinds alone need a further sub-division, 

 suggesting distinct ways of use, for there are what we call the true 

 Primroses, namely those that are all on single stalks ; there are the 

 polyanthus or bunch Primroses ; then the old florists' Polyanthus, 

 the double Primroses, and the border Auriculas. They all agree in 

 preferring a soil of light loamy character with some leaf-mould, and 

 a place where they are never dried up, and where they can have either 

 slight shade or at least a non-sunny exposure. 



The native Primrose of our woods, one of the most charming of 

 flowers, is no doubt the origin of the coloured Primroses. If one 

 might have a perfect place for them it would be a partial clearing 

 in just such a region as the natural haunts of the wild plant — a wood 

 of Oaks with an undergrowth of Hazel, such as occurs in nearly every 

 farm and private property throughout the land, and not infrequently 

 adjoins the garden. A path slightly depressed, leaving irregular, 

 shallow banks on either side and passing through the wood in easy 

 sweeping lines, would provide the best possible way of growing and 

 enjoying the Primroses ; for though they are also indispensable in 

 the actual garden, they are rather more rightly placed in the setting 

 of woodland. It will be all the better if the plants of the main sub- 

 divisions are kept quite distinct, either by following one another 

 along the length of the path or by having a separate little path for each 

 kind. This is the more desirable because the varieties are so easily 

 mixed by chance pollination by bees. Indeed, where the Giant 

 Cowslips are grown their influence is so strong that they must be kept 

 quite away from the bunch Primroses, and can hardly be admitted 

 in the same garden. 



The earliest to bloom will be the true Primroses. Even these, if 

 the best effect is desired, must have some kind of division in colour- 

 grouping ; for they vary from palest pink to richest crimson, and from 

 faintest lilac to deepest purple, thus at once suggesting two distinct 

 colour-groups. And there will be found a third group of warm colouring, 

 of which the strongest are of a red approaching scarlet, which will 

 agree with neither of the others and must be treated by itself. It 

 was from a purple primrose with a colour inclining to violet that 

 Mr. G. F. Wilson raised his celebrated blue varieties. These again 

 must be kept distinct from the rest, but they group charmingly with 

 the very useful early-blooming white, seed of which can be found in 

 the trade lists. 



In these days when good hardy flowers are so much prized and 



