Primula japonica 'Miller's Crimson'

[Kelaidis]

This is just a historical document: the planting has changed. Although the primula did valiant duty for several years, it was finally deemed too common and vulgar in color and exiled by the then master of the garden. I have snuck a few white flowered Primula japonicas back into this little bog, which gives me great delight (full of Dionaea, Vaccinium, pitcher plants and much more).

We have to grow Candelabras in pretty wet spots for them to do their multi-tiered thing, and for them to persist. I will never forget when I was in college in Ithaca, New York, coming on a bog on campus filled with thousands of giant candelabra primulas in all colors--something I would love to create somewhere--not in my current garden which is too dry and unprimulaic. Don't bother to look that word up, I just made it up.

[Todd Boland]

The japonica and their kin are indeed such weeds in Newfoundland...talk about a vulgar sight....time to weed them out for something with a more demure display! (LOL!)

[McDonough]

The japonica and their kin are indeed such weeds in Newfoundland...talk about a vulgar sight....time to weed them out for something with a more demure display! (LOL!)

My garden is way to unprimulaic, haha, with just one Primula species to show (P. kisoana).  Panayoti, maybe start a thread on words that aren't words, but should be.  We'll need Todd to create a "General" topic forum for this 

Todd, I love your vulgar P. japonica garden, I hope to introduce such vulgarity here.  While I typically complain about how dry my yard and garden are (relative to successfully growing shade plants that demand moisture), I do have one spot in my 2 acre yard that is a low point on a hillside, a wide swale of sorts, which in some years I can't mow with my tractor mower until late June or early July because it is so wet, the water seeping out of the hillside and literally running through this spot.  It's been on my "ToDo" list forever, to dig this out and take advantage of such a spot.  Maybe if my recent condition of unenployment continues into 2010 spring and summer, I'll get this done.

Uploaded is a photo of two views of my sole Primula species, and some "friends".

[RickR]

As nice as your "vulgar" patch looks in that pic, Todd, I guess without the flowers it probably does look like a vegetable plot. LOL

Mark those are a nice stout form of sikokianum.  Excellent! (nice Primula, too.)  And what is that plant to the left of them?  Even the flowers make me think of a Peltoboykinia sp., but the leaves aren't peltate.

[Hoy]

I like your "vulgar" primula "vegetable garden", Todd! I have tried to create a plot like that, and it is not lack of moisture (though May and June can be very dry here - have shallow soil over hard bedrock) but the omnipresent slugs! I guess it is better with a little drier garden. Anybody else having problems with snails and slugs? (..and rodents?)

Your woodland scene is very nice, Mark! What kind of soil do you have? And what do you do with your garden waste - if you have?

If you have a wet spot you should try this one: Chrysosplenium davidianum

[McDonough]

Mark those are a nice stout form of sikokianum.  Excellent! (nice Primula, too.)  And what is that plant to the left of them?  Even the flowers make me think of a Peltoboykinia sp., but the leaves aren't peltate.

Thanks Rick.  The plant on the left is Mukdenia rossii (formerly Aceriphyllum rossii), a Saxifragaceae from China and Korea.  It is yet another bellwether plant in my garden, the leaves flopping over when too dry, and I can never seem to keep it moist enough to keep the foliage looking good through July/August.  I upload a photo of this plant taken in a friend's garden, growing at the edge of a sunken bog, where it flowers much more prolifically.  There is a fantastic new cultivar out there such as 'Crimson Fans' which is generally available (note: 'Crimson Fans' is the trademarked name, 'Karasuba' is the real cultivar name).

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=mukdenia+rossii&rlz=1W1DMUS_en&aq=0&aqi=g4&oq=mukdenia&fp=7da014c016d00ed9

http://www.lazyssfarm.com/Plants/Perennials/M_files/M_Images/mukdenia_rossi_crimson_fans_karasuba.htm

Some good hi-res images here:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mukdenia_rossii

Barry Yinger at Asiatica Nursery sells a variegated form called 'StarStream', and the red-leaved 'Karasuba' (aka 'Crimson Fans'), both are available : 
http://www.asiaticanursery.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=393
http://www.asiaticanursery.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=391

[Kelaidis]

Your Mukdenia and Primulas, Mark, are to DIE for: and wonderful pix!

You NEED to do an article for the bulletin!

All the kisoanas I've seen tend to be much darker pink or magenta, or white. That's a lovely pastel!

[McDonough]

Your woodland scene is very nice, Mark! What kind of soil do you have? And what do you do with your garden waste - if you have?
If you have a wet spot you should try this one: Chrysosplenium davidianum

Hi Trond.  Haven't given too much attention to Chrysosplenium, but silly me!  That's a great looking plant, I'll add it to my list. 

My yard is on a hill, and when I moved in 22 years ago, it was totally sunbaked, had very little shade except near the margins of my property that dropped off steeply, bordered by mixed deciduous woods, mostly Sugar Maple and oaks.  The soil is poor rocky clay over ledge, and when I plant a tree, the first tools out include a pickaxe and 6' long pry bar, to pull out enough rock and ledge to give a plant a chance.  On the steep margin edge of my property, I had been dumping soil excavations from planting trees, topped with organic yard waste for 15 years, eventually regaining a strip of useable yard 2-4 meters wide x 50 meters long.  In places, the rich compost is 2-3' deep!  Overall, existing soil or soil from compost, is acidic here.

[Hoy]

Seems you have done a tremendous work! But the result looks fine.

[Lori S.]

Gee, I've had Mukdenia rossii for years now, grown from seed long ago... and have yet to see it bloom (sigh).  Unlike Deinanthe, it seems to tolerate our dry conditions, at least in the deepest shade where it has always been situated, but I imagine it too would prefer a nice, sunny bog.  Might be able to coax a flower or two from it then! 

[Todd Boland]

In fairness, that patch of Primula japonica and kin was taken in our botanical garden, but i do have a few in my own garden.  We have Mukdenia in our BG too and I must admit, last year was the first time I saw it bloom!