Add Spring Cheer With Primulas

In borders or pots, primulas are a welcome reminder that winter will soon be over. Louise Curley reveals how to make the most of this varied – and colourful – species.

- Louise Curley

There can be few plants that raise the spirits in spring as much as the primrose, with its dainty, pale yellow blooms adding a welcome splash of brightness to hedgerows and deciduous woodland. This native flower is one of many primulas, a large and diverse group of plants that includes auriculas from the mountains of central Europe, candelabra primulas from Asia, blowsy polyanthus bedding plants and the slightly tender P. obconica, which can be grown as a house plant.