Primula marginata ‘Herb Dickson’ (and, behind the rock, a Draba, possibly Draba aizoides).
‘Herb Dickson’ was my first Primula marginata. It has appeared on the blog several times.
A great plant, it blooms early and spends the summer bulking up and spreading out so that it can return with twice as many flowers the next year.
I don’t know whether ‘Herb Dickson’ is a selection or a hybrid. (Does anyone know?)
My next marginatas were this pair of unnamed seedlings.
The pink pin-eyed flowers are not as nice, in colour or form, as the slightly bluer thrum-eyed flowers behind. However, they are easier to get seed from.
Plants with these sharply toothed, farinose leaves and a rounder, bluer flower would be very nice.
I did get a decent amount of good-looking seed this year, after pollinating with ‘Herb Dickson’ and ‘Mauve Mist’ and the little one behind.
Speaking of ‘Mauve Mist’: I have had this for two years but don’t remember any flowers last year. I was expecting “mauve” to be a lighter purple. Is my ‘Mauve Mist’ an imposter?
Primula marginata ‘Mauve Mist’
I get a few seeds out of ‘Herb Dickson’ each year, very few, and from those, two or three may germinate and grow into plants. These next pictures show a few hybrids with P. marginata ‘Herb Dickson’ parentage. The other parent, if I remember right (the tags are under snow now), is a light yellow garden auricula.
This is an early spring bloomer, like ‘Herb Dickson’ and also has that parent’s vigour — it produces offsets quickly and abundantly. The foliage is fleshier, less farinose, and less deeply toothed and the flower colour is a lighter blue, brightened by the yellow centre, which will have come from the auricula side.
The plant rebloomed in October, and the flowers this time were a paler colour.
This plant is taller, and the flower colour is closer to that of ‘Herb Dickson.’ It could turn out to be a nice plant, given another year or two to show what it can do.
This plant has smooth-edged leaves, from the auricula parent.
The flowers are thrum-eyed, and the easily accessible pollen will likely find its way onto a light blue pin, such as ‘Chehalis Blue,’ should they bloom at the same time.
Primula marginata ‘Herb Dickson’ after an early May snowfall.
Primrose Fields 