Primroses

[BrassicaBabe]

Hi

I am a total garden numpty. We have a what I like to call a mahoosive garden. And so my approach as been to hide from it and keep it as grass.

I've dipped my toe into the gardening water by planting some pots with primroses. They looked lovely for a while. But are now looking a bit moth eaten What do I do with them?

Thanks

(I will be back with other qus I'm afraid as this grass is looking too plain even for me)

Watching with interest, mine look awful ??

Leave them. They will go over and then pop up again next year.

Ok. Thanks. Should I hide the pots around the back of the garage until next year?

If I plant up new pots, (think splash of colour near the back door which I can manage ) what should I plant?

(You wouldn't believe I actually asked at the garden centre but they out numpty'ed me!!)

Are they colourful looking sort of primroses, or are they the traditional pale yellow ones?

Not that it matters really, as either way you can DIVIDE them, by taking them out of the pots, and by hand or with a little fork, they should split into several smaller plants. As long as each little bit has SOME root (even if only one tiny white root) you can pot them up into new compost in pots. Keep them watered, and if there are 'rotted' looking leaves these can be cut off.

Each original plant could produce six or more new plants.

It is even possible, with TLC, they could produce more flowers this year!

Or if you have a suitable flower bed, the new 'baby' plants can go in there. Again, keep well watered.

If you want something easy, quick and colourful in pots NOW, fuchsias should be available in garden centres:

www.fuchsiaflower.co.uk/index.htm

I would put them in the ground if you can. Because if you are anything like me - when tuck the pots out of sight, they will also be out of mind, and you will forget to water until August, when you suddenly remember them, only to find that they are brown and crisp and very, very dead.

They may have caterpillars eating at them if they are full of holes - have a look and pick them off. Just a couple can do loads of damage.

when *you tuck

Agree with others, put in the ground or they will be forgotten about and die

I've done this for a couple of years with other plants too, so I'll buy pots of daffs for the house (50p a pot in M&S) and when they've finished flowering plant them outside and they will come up the next year. I've also done it with hydrangea pots.

Next year , remember to dead head them

When the flowers are looking a bit sad and floppy , pinch off the top with your thumb and forefinger. You need to poke about in the plant to find any other seed heads that you have missed. It's quite easy to see the difference between flowers that have gone over and are thinking of making seeds and the next set of flower buds

If you do this about once a week, and water them, they should look good for about 3 months . I bought mine in early february ( acually I rescued them from Aldis who were selling them off for £1 for 6 because they were half dead ) and they still look great today .

I'll put them out in the garden when they finally go over

If you do put them in the ground, be prepared for them to spread! My parents brought about 6 primrose plants up from Devon about 20 years ago - we now have hundreds; they come up everywhere - in the middle of the lawn, in the rockery, between the flags in the patio, even in a tiny gap between the garage wall and the path. We also have some of the various coloured primulas, but they don't seem to be quite so invasive. We have flowers on primroses almost all the year round somewhere or other, we even had one out on Christmas Day! I love primroses and am quite happy for them to take over wherever they want, but you might not be quite so keen.

And I have never deadheaded a primrose in my life!

Rusty , they are beautiful ! I think they are primula vulgaris, they are a species primula so you want them to set seed and spread , that's why you have them everywhere , they love your garden .

I thought brassica was talking about the primula cultivars , in bright colours . You need to deadhead those ones or they stop flowering .

We have dozens of them (though not quite as many as rusty bear!).
From this thread, I take it that they can be moved safely (if to divide them, for example)?
They are growing in places I don't necessarily want them.

When would be the best time to do this, please?

Just as they finish flowering I think . Yes to dividing them, otherwise the middle of the clumps get congested

If you don't want them , I'll have them !

Thank you Stacey.
If you're near me you'd be more than welcome to some- they're really good, healthy specimens

PM me whereabouts you are

You are very sweet, but I'm in Scotland so far far away ....

Ah sorry! Have virtual ones instead