Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Sweet Fairy Primroses

I have a hard time deciding which primroses are my favorites, but Fairy Primroses (primula malcoides) seem to be edging out the more showy ones for my affection, at least this year. They are often referred to as perennials, but they perform like annuals in my garden, rarely living through the summers. They do like it cool and damp with dappled sunshine which works just fine for these white ones that are occupying the faux bois birdbath in the Moonlight Garden. They put on a nice show for most of the cooler months as long as they are planted in rich soil. They are small and can get lost in a large bed, but they are perfect for containers or as sweet little accents grouped together among some ferns along a shady path. So sweet.

4 comments:

Shirley said...

Will these fairy primroses overwinter for you?

Sheila said...

Shirley, in our mild climate they actually are planted in the fall for winter and early spring blooms. They just don't typically last through the summers here.

Heather at Dusty Bay said...

They would look sweet as container plants - are there any other colours?

Sheila said...

Heather, they also come in various shades of pink and lavender as well as red.