Add spring cheer with Primulas

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 diverse group of plants that includes auriculas from the mountains of central Europe, candelabra primulas from Asia, blowsy polyanthus plants and the slightly tender P. obconica, which can be grown as a houseplant.

Popular as pollinators

Primulas are great for pollinating insects – cowslips and primroses, for example, are a food source for the rare Duke of Burgundy butterfly. Primroses can be in bloom in mild winters as early as December,