Primroses The Quarterly Of The American Primrose Society Winter 2010 Vol. 68 No. 1 American Primrose Society Winter 2010 OFFICERS Primroses Alan Lawrence, Vice President and Editor President’s Message Acting President Jane Guild Primroses P.O. Box 37 2647 A Deville Road Victoria BC V9B 3W9 Canada ALAN LawrENCE Lake Delton, WI [email protected] [email protected] The Quarterly of the Editorial Committee American Primrose Society Maedythe Martin Michael Plumb, Secretary Judith Sellers 3604 Jolly Roger Crescent Michael Plumb Happy New Year to everyone! Hopefully 2010 Volume 68 No 1 Winter 2010 Pender Island, BC V0N 2M2 Alan Lawrence will bring us all the blooming rewards our efforts Joan Hoeffel (250) 629-6806 deserve. This is my first President’s message [email protected] Editorial Deadlines The purpose of this Society is to bring the people Winter issue - October 15 since taking on the job from Joe Philip when time interested in Primula together in an organization to Jon Kawaguchi, Treasurer Spring issue - January 15 pressure forced Joe to reduce his commitments. 3524 Bowman Court Summer issue - April 15 increase the general knowledge of and interest in the Autumn issue - July 15 He is now concentrating on organizing the 2010 collecting, growing, breeding, showing and using in Alameda, CA 94502 (510) 331-3337 ©American Primrose Society 2010 APS National Show, which is probably a full time the landscape and garden of the genus Primula in all its Primroses (ISSN 0162-6671) is published [email protected] activity in itself. Unfortunately, there are only 24 forms and to serve as a clearing house for collecting and by the American Primrose, Primula and Auricula Society. All material printed hours in a day, and many of us find that 24 hours disseminating information about Primula. DIRECTORS in the quarterly, except as noted, is copyright by APS. No part may be are not quite enough. Now that I am retired I cannot Through 2011 . Linda Bailey reproduced without the permission of APS. imagine how I ever found time to go to work. 240 Silke Rd, Apt. 220 Manuscripts for publication are invited, Contents Colville, WA 99114 though there is no payment. Send articles, (509) 684-8936 preferably in Microsoft Word, directly to Winter is a busy time for me, and many of my [email protected] the editor. primulas suffer because of our chosen lifestyle. We President’s Message by Alan Lawrence �������������������������3 Photographs are credited and used only How do you deal with slugs? . 4 Cheri Fluck with the permission of the photographer. overwinter in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as 17275 Point Lena Loop Rd Photos submitted to the editor are preferred my wife and I are keen cross-country skiers. Here Primula section Primula in the Caucasus region in 300 dpi digital format but other images Juneau, AK 99801-8344 in the extreme western tip of the UP, the climate by John Richards . 5 (503)-504-4200 can be accepted. Any material used that has Some Primulas of Central Asia previously appeared elsewhere is properly is modified by the vast thermal sink of Lake [email protected] credited and used with the permission of by Panayoti Kelaidis and Michael Bone . 8 the original publisher and/or creator. Superior, creating winters with reliable snow cover Breeding Green- and Grey-Edged Auriculas Through 2010 . Rodney Barker 49 Woodcliff Road Membership in the Society includes a (locally over 200 inches per year) and summers subscription to Primroses, seed exchange by Dr David Mellor . .13 Newton Highlands, MA 02461 with no excessive heat. This sounds like ideal A Plethora of Primulas by Frank Cabot �����������������������25 privileges, password to the member’s only [email protected] section of the APS web site (including the Primula country, and I recently gave a talk to the Pins + Thrums . 29 Pictorial Dictionary) and use of the slide Julia Haldorson, Membership local gardening club to try to spark some interest. Chapter reports 2009. .30 library. P.O. Box 210913 Unfortunately for me, most of my primulas are at In search of Abchasica by Lee Nelson. .33 Auke Bay, AK 99821 Dues for individual or household [email protected] membership, domestic and Canada are: our home in South Central WI, 4 hours away at An Abiding Affection for Primroses $25 per calendar year by Vincente Sette. .34 Marianne I. Kuchel $70 for three years the excessive speed of my driving. I make this trip 1815 Blood Brook Road Overseas rates are: every 10 days or so, to check on all my plants and Minutes . 36 $32 per calendar year New Members this Quarter . .39 Fairlee, VT 05045 $90 for three years. seedlings. This is when I often make that classic Officers of the Chapters �����������������������������������������������39 (802) 333-4835 Membership renewals are due November [email protected] 15 and are delinquent January 1. error of overwatering brought on by the paranoia of Submit payment to the treasurer. Mary Jo Burns “I won’t be here for 10 days or so.” The resulting 4169 Westwood Drive Advertising rates per issue: root or crown rot is not a pretty sight. I certainly Anchorage, AK 99515 Black and White: Full page: $100 would appreciate an expert article on “How to Credits: Photos and text reproduced with permission. (907) 248-2827 Half page: $60 water your plants” in the quarterly. [email protected] 1/4 page: $30 Front Cover: Primula ‘Raynald’, a sterile hybrid that originated 1/8 page: $15 at Frank Cabot’s garden, Les Quatre Vents. Photo by Richard Color: The Seed Exchange has again provided a diverse Brown. Half page: $150 and comprehensive selection of seeds of species Full page: $300 Back Cover: $450 and hybrids to tempt us to try something a little Contact the treasurer for details. 2 3 American Primrose Society Winter 2010 different or something a little difficult. Primula section Primula in the Caucasus region. We all owe Jacques Mommens and ...how do you deal with his crew of able helpers a debt of SLUGS? gratitude for all the hard work they JOHN RICHARDS put into receiving, cleaning, sorting, The most common approaches packaging and distributing the great seem to be: What is Primula section Primula? Well, for the oxlip, and cowslips are native selection offered in the Seed Exchange. • Watering schedule - watering it is the group of species (there are only almost as far east as the Pacific. This I usually try something new each year, in the evening leaves damp seven) which used to be known as the is a very “Eurocentric” viewpoint! As often with only limited success due to places overnight for slugs Vernales, and include such familiar I have explained in my book Primula the above mentioned winter neglect • Seaweed - it is salty and rough plants as the primrose, P. vulgaris, the (2003), the genus almost certainly first and overwatering. Last year I tried when dry cowslip, P. veris and the oxlip, P. elatior. diversified in the eastern Sinohimalaya, Primula x kewensis and now have half • Copper - creates electric shocks More than 40 years ago, the “plant so it is very likely that the forerunners a dozen seedlings waiting for me to not in their slime! lawyers” who meet every four years to of this group actually spread westwards overwater. I hope you have ordered a • Predators - toads, beetles, birds dream up rules governing plant names, into Europe. good selection for yourself. and nematodes decided in their wisdom that the group • Hair clippings - sharp ends (section, subgenus, whatever) that In Geographical Botany, there is an old Joe Philip will be show chairman for this deter slugs contains the type species of the genus concept, first put forward by Willis, year’s National Show, and that means it • Nightime raids with a flashlight should have the same name as the genus. of Age and Area. This says that the will be another good one! Please plan However, there seems to be some No-one doubts that the type species of most widespread species tend to be the to attend if you possibly can! controversy surrounding the Primula is the cowslip, P. veris, and so oldest, and that regions with the greatest following: Best wishes for the 2010 Primula we have to call the ‘Vernales’ Primula, diversity of species may well be those in • Diatomaceous earth - can kill growing year! the same as the genus. Sorry! which the group evolved. Although this other beneficial insects theory does not always hold true, there Alan Lawrence • Coffee - questionable results I am lucky enough to live in an area of is no argument as to where the centre • Salt - messy and can alter soil northern England where primroses and of origin might be for section Primula! chemistry cowslips are common native plants, and The other four species in the group, P. • Beer or milk traps - also messy so spring is a season we await eagerly! megaseifolia, P. juliae, P. renifolia and and can kill beneficial insects But we have only two members of P. grandis only occur in the Caucasus The following websites may be of the section native here, and some of region (including north-eastern use in the springtime. the others are quite hard to cultivate. Turkey), and all the widespread species • http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ Nevertheless, most forms of oxlip occur there too, and in an amazing h2g2/A2876862 (not the purple ones!) are also hearty array of local forms not seen elsewhere. QUARTERLY SETS • http://www.eartheasy.com/ growers here, although as a native plant Nearly all the biodiversity exhibited grow_nat_slug_cntrl.htm it is restricted in the UK to a tiny area of by these far-flung plants is crammed AVAILABLE - $25! • http://www.cf.ac.uk/biosi/ staffinfo/wocs2.html eastern England.