OFFICERS & BOARD American Primrose Society - Summer 2001 1 OF DIRECTORS Primroses EDITOR/GRAPHIC DESIGN Presidents Message Ed Buyarski. President Robert Tonkin P.O. Box 33077 .3155 Pioneer Ave. Juneau, AK 99803-3077 Juneau, AK 99801 Greetings primrose lovers, it's summertime in Alaska! More (907) 789-2299 (907) 463-1554 than enough hours of daylight to weed the garden, plant all AMERICAN PRIMROSt. PKIMUI.A AND AURICULA SOCIETY. INC [email protected] amprimsocC? hotmail.com those hundreds of new seedlings, collect seeds for the APS EDITORIAL COMMITTEE seed exchange, and even work if you have a real job. Sleeping Cheri Fluck. Vice President Robert Tonkin 17275 Point Lena Loop Rd. Judy Sellers this time of year is optional. There'll be lots of dark hours this Juneau, AK 99801 Edward Buyarski fall and winter to catch up on that little item. (907) 789-0595 Primroses l.l)[']'(MilAL DEADLINES After almost no winter, our spring was very cool and our Robert Tonkin. Secretary Winter issue - November 15 season is still nearly three weeks behind normal. My apple trees Quarterly of the 3155 Pioneer Ave. Spring issue - February 15 Summer issue - May 15 are in full bloom on the summer solstice as I write this, so I Juneau, Alaska 99801 hill issue - August 15 American Primrose Society (907)463-1554 may have little green apples for Thanksgiving. Denticulata Volume 59, Number 3, Summer 2001 primroses @>g<;i.net PHOTOGRAPHIC CREDITS primroses were severely damaged by a hard frost in March that Alt photos are credited. brought with it the coldest day of the Winter on the first day of Julia Haldorson. Treasurer P.O. Box 210913 Primroses (ISSN 0162-6671) is pub- Spring! My family and I left for a week long vacation on that lished quarterly by the American Prim- 1 President's Message Alike Bay. Alaska 99821 morning at 10 degrees F and enjoyed arriving in Honolulu, (907) 789-5860 rose, Primula and Auricula Society, 19933 Cohen Dr. Juneau, AK 99801. Member- [email protected] Hawaii at a balmy 75F! We left behind purple crocus popsicles 2 Alpine Garden Club of B.C. Show Report ship in the Society includes a subscrip- by Maedythe Martin tion to Primroses, Seed Exchange privi- and had fresh pineapple sorbet with not a primrose in sight. DIRECTORS 4 Vacouver Island Rock & Alpine Garden leges, Slide Library privileges and the op- Returning to the mainland, we visited a college in Portland Through 2004 portunity t» join a Round Robin. Dues with our son and I got to visit the Berry Botanic Garden. Seeing Society Show Pam Eveleigh tor individual or household membership 6520 Law Drive in the American Pri mrose Society, domes- the beautiful setting where Rae Berry grew her plants and by Maedythe Martin tic, and Canada are $25 per calendar year, Calgary. AlberlaT3E6A I contributed to the APS was very nice. It is in a quiet Canada $70 for three years or $350 for an indi- 6 APS National Show Report vidual lite membership. Overseas rales are [email protected] neighborhood, somewhat difficult to find but worth a visit. The by Candy Strickland $32 per annum, and $90 for 3 years. Sub- mit payment to the treasurer. Member- managers and gardeners I talked with were enthusiastic about 8 Collecting Primula Seed Elaint: Malloy ship renewals are due November 15 and growing many more primroses as they return the property to by Mry Kordes P.O. Box 38 arc delinquent ,11 die first of the year. Pe- South Salem, NY 10590 riodical postage paid at Juneau, AK. some of it's former glory and of course are looking for more 9 New England Chapter Meets elaineprim@aol,cwn volunteers to help. In April I attended the APS National Show, Postmaster: Please send address changes by Judy Sellers chaired by Candy Strickland. She did another great job Through 2003 to APS Treasurer, Julia Haldorson, P.O. Box 210913, Auke Bay, AK 99821. 10 Dear Primula Enthusiasts Terry Mitchell arranging and coordinating the Show and deserves all our thanks by Elena Conti 17 Fearnley Dr. Manuscripts for publication in the for her efforts. Some of us went through the APS judging class 11 Gold Laced Polyanthus Ossett. West Yorkshire WF5-9EU quarterly are invited from members and taught by Rosetta Jones. She did a terrific job of teaching England other gardeners, although there is no pay- by Terry Mitchell (144) 1924-261-698 mem. Please include black and white pho- practical judging skills using the examples from the Show. (LTry.miichell2<oi htinternet.com tographs, slides or color prints it possible. 14 Himalayan Garden Book Review Send articles directly to the Editor at the I was fortunate to meet John Richards; the author of by Ed Buyarski addresses above or email articles and pic- "Primula", and see his slides of "A Cretan Spring" at a lecture lures to [email protected]. Articles com- 23 The Auricula Judith C. Sellers posed in Word or another word proces- sponsored by the Mt Tahoma Chapter of NARGS. I truly by George Glenny R.D.3 Box 233A sor are greatly appreciated. Please send enjoyed talking with him about our favorite subject and Unadillo. New York 13849 pictures scanned at 300 dpi, scanned at especially about some of the Chinese primulas I had seen. Some 30 APS Board Minutes April 2001 (6(17)369-9237 their intened size of 5 by 3 inches for wide half page shots and 2.25 by 3,3 inches [email protected] of our members and I were welcomed to the gardens of Steve for quarter page shots. APS reserves the right to use submitted articles and pic- Doonan, Thea Oakley, and June Skidmore, where of course Through 2002 tures for other official APS uses. we had an afternoon tea! Rick Lupp at Mt Tahoma Nursery Dr. Roger Eichmau 223 Griffith Poini Rd. Advertising rates per issue: full page, gave us a tour and showed off his sand beds for growing alpines. COVER PHOTO: "American Beauty Nordland. WA 98358 MOO; h.ilf pai;e, $50; quarter page, $25; George Dusek and his wife Edith also shared their plants (360) 379-9566 eighth page and minimum, $12.50. Art- and gardens with us. It was also fun to meet some members eichmanrtp1 compaq. net work for ads i.s the responsibility of the .idveniser, and camera ready copy is ap- of the Primula chat group to put faces to the messages we preciated. Submit advertising to the Edi- Ruby Cliong tor. (Graphic artwork help is available.) have exchanged. 6870 Union St. Burnahy BC V5B 1X5, Canada (604) 298-S384 Continued on page 29 [email protected] 2 American Primrose Society - Summer 2001 American Primrose Society - Summer 2001 3 Alpine Garden Club Ruby Chong, former APS Seed Exchange Another striking plant in the Vernales year. Maedythe Martin has been hybridizing of British Columbia coordinator, is a fine example of these bred- section was a shaded, brick-colored jack-in- and collecting stripes for the past five years, Spring Show, April 14 -15,2001 in-America plants. And, in fact, it was grown the-green polyanthus, raised by Ruby Chong and now they are starting to show up on the from Barnhaven seed. from seed from the late John Kerridge. benches. 'Agate Bands' is one of Derek Held at the Van Dusen Gardens The trophy winner for best polyanthus was Likely this is some of Peter Ward's seed. Parsons' hybrids. Derek has been raising a red-ground gold-laced polyanthus entered Peter is a gifted hybridizer and was a moving stripes in the Welsh border area for over ten Once again it was a real treat to meet by Phyllis Plenderleith. It is a joy to see a force in the National Auricula and Primula years. He has over two hundred named primrose friends, sometime >cen onh once large plant with many flower stems. An Society, Midlands Section, in England, and plants now, and many more seedlings. a year. The show is like a magnet, attracting added bonus was the lovely fragrance - not John visited him a number of times. This 'Agate Bands' is a soft violet and old gold those of us who can't stop growing Primula all gold-laced polyanthus are fragrant. These interesting Jack-in-the-green probably has color combination while others of his plants of all types. There were some treasures to plants in the garden look most exotic - like gold-laced polyanthus genes somewhere in range through red and white, blue and white be seen once again. a cluster of bees or some other exotic insect, its background, but the lacing has retreated to rust and gold stripes. You saw some of One of the most striking plants was a hovering in a group. There is good seed to a wire-edge. his plants on the cover of the winter vigorous pale violet Cowichan. More often available now from the APS seed exchange. More and more Primula marginata seem quarterly, 2001. seen are the rich red and amethyst colors, Try some in your garden next year. to be available these days, and this is In the rust and white stripe color, but this was an unusual color-break. The The trophy for best alpine Primula was resulting in fine entries in the show. One Maedythe had some seedlings to show for dark eye set off the flower to perfection. won by Ruby Chong with a fine example of outstanding plant of 'Allen Jones' indicates the first time. Because the stripes are The Cowichan strain originated with a 'Broadwell Milkmaid', a Primula allionii just how good the blue can be in a selected included in the show auricula classes, the plant found near Cowichan Station, just up hybrid.