Tulipa Turkestanica
Any one who reads this blog regularly will know that I have a new interest in alpines which really means I have lots of small pots with dinky plants all over the place. I do intend to plant some out in the garden in the future but am bulking them up first. The trouble with alpines is that they only cost a couple of pounds to buy so are really quite irresistible and to make matters worse ast the Alpine Garden Society group I go to there are at least three nurserymen/women selling these delights – it really is hopeless.
This month’s purchase is the tulip above. I love all tulips but increasingly I find myself drawn to the species varieties – they are so just so beautiful. I couldn’t resist the pot above and it is now gracing my patio table, opening its flowers when the sun shines.
Above is my absolute favorite plant at the moment. It is an auricula which I grew from seed in 2011. I was given the seeds by my son’s work colleague and all I knew were that they were some form of auricula seeds. I have probably eight dotted around in the greenhouse and cold frames. This is the first one to flower and the first time I can see what the flower is like. I am presuming the rest will be the same but who knows. I find the petals quite fascinating, they remind me of a fine crepe.
Primula ‘Aire Mist’
This is another one of my new acquisition and is another obvious sign of my Primula obsession. One of the primula gurus on the Scottish Rock Garden Forum has told me that this is a cross made by breeder Peter Lister between a white form of Primula allionii and Primula auricula ‘Blairside Yellow’. This plant encapsulates everything I love about horticulture at the moment – discovering new plants, encountering new people who are very generous with their knowledge and dreaming of being able to breed primulas like this in the future.