Botanical Hardy Primroses – what’s all the fuss?

Primroses are available in almost every colour of the rainbow, but in this blog post I’m talking specifically about botanical hardy varieties. These are primroses that flower for 3 seasons of the year. They start in the autumn, go through the winter and flower through the spring. The only time they take a rest is in the summer, and they come back every single year.

 

 

Ace for borders, you can plant them beneath your perennials if you really want to make the most of space. Plant them both into the same border, and the perennials will give the primroses the shade they need in the summer, and primroses will fill that gap with colour through the rest of the year.

 

 

Everlast

First up is Everlast – this is like a supercharged version of the wild primrose. It has bigger blooms and almost 50 blooms at any one time. Long-flowering, giving you those three seasons of colour and it’s still a great source of nectar for the bees. The colour is positively glowing!

Veristar

This is the next generation of cowslip, and each one looks a little different. These are the result of cowslips being hybridised with typical primroses to give a selection of giant blooms with that traditional fragrance! Great for borders, but also in cute little pots atop an outdoor table!

Gold Lace

Now, for something different, how about the Gold Lace series? Years ago, we only had the gold version, but now we have silver, purple and a few other colours – it’s an absolutely incredible variety, and it’s suitable for borders or pots. You can really have fun designing containers with this unique gem!

Colibri

And finally we have Colibri. This is distinctively different, and it’s a Polyanthus, which means there’s a cluster of flowers on the top of each stem.

 

 

The colour is breathtaking, and flower stems are produced consistently, unlike traditional Poly’s! Strong, strong plants – a real sign of spring for your outdoor space!

 

Rudy Raes Bloemenzaden is a breeding company in Belgium that conducts extensive breeding and trials. They have brought us some of the most fantastic primroses for our gardens – and this is just a snapshot of their range. Hopefully I’ve inspired you to look out for a few of these varieties!