April 20, 2014. OK - I have to start somewhere and since it is beginning to look like spring - no new leaves yet but some warmer night temperatures - I am anticipating the call sounds of all the frog species that occupy our farm - and I am thinking about flowers. Right now we have some of these Violas in bloom. This is Viola corsica - a European species but plenty tough enough for our climate. They overwinter well and begin to bloom quite early but also manage to stay pretty respectable all summer
(from some trimming back) and will flower on and off throughout the season with a fall rebloom if they are happy.
I thought that I would try to provide some ideas and information about some plants that I am fond of ( actually that would be almost all plants) - in fits and starts as the notion strikes me. I originate from southern England and to me spring is heralded by primroses. It turns out that there are plenty of Primula that are quite hardy in southern Ontario and they perform quite well. You just have to be a bit choosy about what types you try. Here are a few suggestions.
Hardy Primroses
Primula capitata ssp. mooreana.
A great performer in the
garden, this primrose will tolerate sun or shade and even grow well in dry
soils. It forms very thick rosettes of
dark green leaves with silvery powdered undersides. The flowers are usually a
dark violet blue in tight clusters with silvery stems. I have found this species to be very hardy
and long-lived, providing a long season of lovely bright flower display.
Primula denticulata
One of our favourites,
this rock -hardy, long-lived primrose
grows with nice tidy rosettes that
make it look very attractive in mass plantings but when it blooms it is
a truly gorgeous display of ball-like clusters of flowers held well above the
foliage in shades of blue pink white and
reddish -mauve. Primula denticulata is best in light shade but will tolerate
full sun or medium shade. It is also not very fussy when it comes to soil
moisture.
Primula veris
This is the cowslip of
the English countryside. A tough and
enduring performer/ Typically P.veris has yellow flowers but there are a number
of different cultivars with red to orange shades as well as bicolours. Able to
tolerate full sun or shade and even quite dry conditions, this plant is a good
performer in the landscape.
Primula pubescens
A very different kind of
primrose, P. pubescens has broad smooth leaves with a very fine covering of
tiny hairs that help give the plant an extra tolerance for drought or very hot
dry conditions. The flowers are very distinctive with eye markings and a very
wide colour range. Another long-lived species that forms dense rosettes making
it another good groundcover.
Primula Wanda strains. The original Wanda is a deep reddish-purple - a vivid colour and a reliable grower - but now there are many more options as seed strains have been developed that come true to individual colours. The two strains that I am currently enjoying the most are deep blue and deep velvet red flowered types. These primroses have beautiful tight rosettes of very ribbed leaves that stay nice and deep green all through the summer so they are not bad as an all purpose groundcover in semishade.
Saxifraga X Urbium “London Pride”.
I always enjoy seeing
this plant growing in my garden. Beautiful rosettes of gold-splashed foliage
made up of spoon-shaped leaves with wavy margins make this Saxifraga an ideal
groundcover. In the spring it sends up tall wiry stems covered in small
white/pink flowers that persist for quite
a long period. London Pride will gradually creep along and tumble over
ledges forming a fairly dense mat in shade or sun. The foliage is evergreen and
glossy and makes a great combination with small spring bulbs such as scilla and
muscari.
