Showing posts with label flower. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flower. Show all posts

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Irish Primrose Trials

Irish Primrose Garden Trials.
Primula Avondale
Spring has come very late in 2013 and indeed not fully arrived even yet. Our new primroses have weathered this most unusual and unprecedented cold March.  Having been hit by sleet, snow, frost and continuous dry cold winds they are looking very perky indeed. Leaf colour on the dark leaved forms in fact is far better in cold conditions like we have now.  The most interesting thing evolving that really make these forms of Primrose of great value to the Spring garden is how the flowers are remaining fresh and vivid by comparison to many of the poylanthus and large flowered winter bedding forms.

These new varieties from very old lines dating back to at least early 1900's have been slowly bred totally in out door conditions over a period of 38 years. The methodology applied is resulting in very tough genetics which ultimately is good for gardeners everywhere. Reports coming in from all over the world are so far positive. Remember these primroses are not meant to be just show pieces to look good in a pot for a fancy picture these plants must be gardeners plants. These primula are intended to last as perennials and give value to gardeners and can be divided up every few years to spread around the garden or re potted to make great flowering containers or mixed combos.

Primula Moneygall
Reports are coming in from USA as far North as Alaska and South to Dallas, as far East as Tokyo Japan and in Southern Hemisphere Melbourne Australia and Auckland New Zealand. Drumcliff, Innisfree and now many others are being put through their paces in Germany, France, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, UK and other countries. Of course here in Ireland we are putting them through their paces also. So gardeners, nurseries and garden centres can be assured these plants are being tested for endurance as well as for their eye catching attributes. Up to now reports coming in are very positive and garden writers and experts around the world seem to like the surprise element of these beauties. Myself and Joe Kennedy are very grateful for the positivity shown towards these Irish Primroses and as they say in show biz, we think, you ain't seen nothing yet!

Primula Drumcliff
What counts for me is that these plants work for the gardener, give something special to horticulture and stand the test of time.  Knee jerk reactions to how one perceive, good or bad are never of value, it can take over 5 years to really know if a group of plants like this are of value.  The process of breeding selection and final testing before release can and has in the case of these beauties taken a lifetime.  You can keep up to date with images and news about our Irish Primroses on www.irishprimnrose.com which links for now to Irish Primrose facebook page, in due course a new website will be launched. oDOnt forget you can check all the other Irish Primrose stories in previous posts below.

Enjoy the pictures! :) .







Primula Dunbeg


Primula Drumcliff

Primula Innisfree
Primula Claddagh
Primula Tara
 

Primula Dunbeg

Monday, February 25, 2013

A New Irish primrose for The Whitehouse garden.


Primula Moneygall
 Spring is in the air and some of the more brave wild Irish primroses are peeping through their winter foliage.

On St.Patricks Day 2013 a new primrose will herald springtime in Washington. A special Irish primrose has been named in honour of the maternal ancestral village of USA President Barack Obama. The first plants of the primrose named Primula Moneygall are already growing locally in USA and now waiting for their introduction to the Whitehouse garden. This new Irish primrose variety will be gifted to President and Mrs Obama during their state visit by An Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Mr Enda Kenny and Mrs Fionnuala Kenny on St.Patricks Day 2013.

For millennia in Ireland flowering of the wild primrose has been one of the first natural signs of progression from winter to spring. The humble primrose has given rise to positive and varied primrose folklore. As my old secondary school motto says Hiems Transit (winter has passed) the native primrose gives natures silent testament to this fact.

Primula Moneygall has similar flower colour and habit as our native Irish primrose.‘Moneygall’ along with a number of new Irish primroses now available worldwide has been raised from old Irish varieties through many years of conservation, breeding and selection work by Joe Kennedy and Pat FitzGerald. Primula Moneygall with its natural simplicity and profuse combination of single, poly and hose-in-hose flower formations is a natural Spring treat in garden containers, borders or other planting situations. The Moneygall Primrose is ideal for mass planting in garden, park, village or town planting schemes. This new primrose variety can be planted in Autumn or Spring and will compliment spring flowering bulbs such as crocus and snowdrop.

We hope this selected variety heralds a new spring for us all in 2013 and enhances the joys of spring in the Whitehouse garden for generations to come. Primula Moneygall will be available as an addition to the current range of Irish primroses from Autumn 2013.


Kennedy Irish Primrose display at
Arboretum Garden Center
 Check for the Kennedy Primrose range in your local garden center now they are truly unique.

For further news keep up to date at