Irish Primrose Trials

Irish Primrose Garden Trials.

Primula Avondale

Spring has come very late in 2013 and indeed not fully arrived even yet. Our new primroses have weathered this most unusual and unprecedented cold March.  Having been hit by sleet, snow, frost and continuous dry cold winds they are looking very perky indeed. Leaf colour on the dark leaved forms in fact is far better in cold conditions like we have now.  The most interesting thing evolving that really make these forms of Primrose of great value to the Spring garden is how the flowers are remaining fresh and vivid by comparison to many of the poylanthus and large flowered winter bedding forms.

These new varieties from very old lines dating back to at least early 1900's have been slowly bred totally in out door conditions over a period of 38 years. The methodology applied is resulting in very tough genetics which ultimately is good for gardeners everywhere. Reports coming in from all over the world are so far positive. Remember these primroses are not meant to be just show pieces to look good in a pot for a fancy picture these plants must be gardeners plants. These primula are intended to last as perennials and give value to gardeners and can be divided up every few years to spread around the garden or re potted to make great flowering containers or mixed combos.

Primula Moneygall

Reports are coming in from USA as far North as Alaska and South to Dallas, as far East as Tokyo Japan and in Southern Hemisphere Melbourne Australia and Auckland New Zealand. Drumcliff, Innisfree and now many others are being put through their paces in Germany, France, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, UK and other countries. Of course here in Ireland we are putting them through their paces also. So gardeners, nurseries and garden centres can be assured these plants are being tested for endurance as well as for their eye catching attributes. Up to now reports coming in are very positive and garden writers and experts around the world seem to like the surprise element of these beauties. Myself and Joe Kennedy are very grateful for the positivity shown towards these Irish Primroses and as they say in show biz, we think, you ain't seen nothing yet!

Primula Drumcliff

What counts for me is that these plants work for the gardener, give something special to horticulture and stand the test of time.  Knee jerk reactions to how one perceive, good or bad are never of value, it can take over 5 years to really know if a group of plants like this are of value.  The process of breeding selection and final testing before release can and has in the case of these beauties taken a lifetime.  You can keep up to date with images and news about our Irish Primroses on www.irishprimnrose.com which links for now to Irish Primrose facebook page, in due course a new website will be launched. oDOnt forget you can check all the other Irish Primrose stories in previous posts below.

Enjoy the pictures! :) .








Primula Dunbeg



Primula Drumcliff

Primula Innisfree

Primula Claddagh

Primula Tara

 

Primula Dunbeg

St Patricks Day special on the President Obama Moneygall Irish Primrose

This week to highlight the launch of our Primula Moneygall out national TV station RTE 1 came to visit our micro-propagation laboratory.  You can see the link to this radio piece here http://www.rte.ie/radio1/countrywide/programmes/2013/0316/376967-countrywide-saturday-march-16-2013/?clipid=1032094

I hope you enjoy learning a little about how these plants are produced.

You can see full story on the Moneygall Primrose going to USA White House here.
http://fitzgeraldnurseries.blogspot.ie/2013/02/a-new-irish-primrose-for-whitehouse.html

Pat.

Todays Babylon

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon also known as Hanging Gardens of Semiramis and the walls of Babylon (near present-day Al Hillah in Iraq) are considered one of the original Seven Wonders of the World. They were built by Nebuchadnezzar II around 600 BC. He is reported to have constructed the gardens to please his wife, Amytis of Media, who longed for the trees and beautiful plants of her homeland. The gardens are reputed to have been destroyed in an earthquake after the 1st century BC. However this desire to have such a place and this longing for beautiful spaces has not changed through the passing of time.

As Landscape design businesses, Magazines, Nurseries or Garden Centres we have developed a strategy to highlight and respond to this real need. Is there currently an increased trend towards people using their living spaces as places of refuge and comfort? Are people longing for the once familiar safe feeling provided by natures cocoon? No matter how streetwise, world hardened and sophisticated we have become for most is that longing still in our genetic makeup. If the answers to these questions are yes then the time may be right more than ever before to give people what they want and explain more clearly we are providing a unique service more than just the obivous physical goods. The collaboration between nurseries, architects, designers and landscape contractors come together to provide that place whether it be on the scale of Babylon or your own tiny urban / rural garden cocoon.

Have governments understood this human need fully? This need is greater during times of trauma be they economically induced or simialr to the needs of Amytis of Media all those centuries ago.

We have been reading stories from all over the world where our wise leaders have been cutting back on spending on parks and public gardens. With tighter budgets large and small businesses may also underestimate or ignore the need for these spaces for staff to unwind before, during or after their working day.
Isn't there some economic formula which says supply should be dictated by demand and or need? There is enough research to show that investment in nature and creating natural spaces are always wise investments financially. Investment in the manufacture of buildings, cars, planes and other products such as financial packages have historically taken priority and I guess that is how the world is. Or was! It didnt work fully to our favour and maybe now is a good time to tweak towards natural solutions to old problems.
Can we ever look forward to a time when policy dictates the planted environment must be financed and planned to show buildings and steets can be accomodated within the plan rather than making nature fit our buldings and streets.
The environmental age has arrived, people want nature more part of the sustainability solution when they go home, or indeed go to work. Nature does not just provide us with a means to energy we use to power our appliances it also gives us the energy provided by well being. The good news for mankind is that there is an ample supply of skilled businesses that can supply such a services that will be able to harness renewable resources to provide both forms of energy.
Our business is to simply and effectively provide a diversity plants that will fit in your immediate environment and we take it seriously.
http://www.myplant.ie/