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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Gardening: Cheerful primroses need extra care to thrive in Spokane gardens

Primroses need regular water and protection from the sun in order to thrive in Eastern Washington. (Holly Pickett / The Spokesman-Review)

In a few short weeks, the splashes of color will be appearing in the garden centers as the first cheery pots of primroses arrive to brighten our spirits.

Primroses are one of the earliest bloomers in the spring, not far behind the early snowdrops, crocus and tulips. In general, the plants form a rosette of long narrow leaves that are topped by stems full of flowers in a wide range of colors. Some varieties are only a few inches wide and tall while others can be 2 feet wide with flower stalks that measure up to 3 feet in height.

The plants we find in the garden centers here are probably the common English primrose (Primula vulgaris) which is a low growing plant with a compact cluster of flowers held close to the crown. They commonly come in yellow, purple, pink, white and red. While they arrive in our nurseries in full bloom in late February, under normal conditions here they probably won’t bloom until early April along with the early bulbs.

The plants are native to the Himalayas and other cool climates in Europe and Asia. In many places in Europe, they are a common wildflower in moist pastures, meadow and in woodlands. In fact, one common name often used is cowslip which probably originated from their propensity to inhabit cow pastures and draw on the rich organic material supplied by the abundant cow flops.

Given their native habitats, getting primroses to survive and reappear the following spring in our climate takes some careful siting and planting. We don’t have the clouds to break the intensity of the sun nor the steady moisture in our dry, hot summers. We have to provide it for them.

The first issue is that the plants show up well before we can safely plant things outside, especially plants that just came out of a nice cozy greenhouse. As a result, we will have to provide them with a cool bright windowsill and regular waterings indoors until mid-April and the last of the hard frosts.

In our climate, the best place to plant primroses is in beds on the east and north sides of the house where they are protected from the midday and afternoon sun. Given that they are a woodland plant, they would do well under deciduous shrubs and trees that leaf out later in the spring and give them shade. Plant them within easy reach of the sprinklers so they get an inch a week of water and be ready to provide them with more watering later in the summer. They need rich soil so amend the planting area with plenty of organic matter to hold water and provide nutrients. Mulch them well with shredded pine needles or leaves. Fertilize them in the early spring.

Once the flowers fade, the plants will soak up the light for a few weeks before going dormant for the year. Be sure to mark where you planted them so you don’t dig into the bed to plant something else.

Master Gardener Pat Munts is co-author, with Susan Mulvihill, of the “Northwest Gardener’s Handbook.” Munts can be reached at pat@ inlandnwgardening.com.