Primrose

WOW !! -- I got a lot of birds out here today. Birds and plants go together. To that end, most plants I prefer have a relation to birds.


I kinda got into plants at a late age. As a younger man, did not have much time except for making $$ for us to get us by.
My only hobby was running and drinking.

Back in the 90's I became hooked on gardening shows (the way folks now are with cooking shows). My garden hero was Paul James, a Master Gardener. Now there are not many (if any) good gardening shows on TV. No matter, when I moved here, enrolled at Clemson for the Master Gardner classes, and now I could do a show as did Paul James except for my looks and personality issues.

I slowly got into this plant thing over the last 20 years. It crept up on me. I had an irreplaceable high school sweetheart living in Arkansas who was a community force in the program, but she died on me this past year.


My favorite plants change with the seasons, but one I really, really like is Primrose.
I have never grown it, just have bought one here and there as an annual.
Most times I see (and buy) some around now. I have not seen any yet.

Primrose is a very large family. If not for the beauty, many might call it a weed. No matter as many of my favorite plants denote horror from my neighbors they might drift into their lawns.

I have never grown Primrose, and those plants I buy never last. I have many things in my yard most people on a visit will not notice. My yard may look like a wild mess, but that aint as easy a look to create as some would think. Plants are fun. Growing them is a good hobby and a challenge.

To that end, I ordered in some primrose seed. I am not decided on how to proceed. The correct way would be seed in a controlled space and re-plant in the yard. Maybe I will do some of that, but also I will just sow and let Mother Nature have a shot. I am undecided as to where I have room to try that. I have a couple acres to play on but -- it is crowded. You would think it is mostly unattended crap, but my yard ain't that.

Attachment 4426

I live in shade and as I understand it, Primrose can handle some shade. Like almost all plants, it likes rich, moist, well drained soil. That is a difficult combination as irrigation is needed in most Summers. Here we average about 5" of rain each month over a year, but "averages" are from many years, and any individual week/month can be dry. Yearly cycles tend to be feast or famine (wet or dry).

I used to have irrigation many places, but less now as I discovered where to plant what.

Anyway, got in these seeds ($5) and am excited to see what might occur.
I'll get them in before Spring and will post photos if one flowers.

I advise caution when introducing a new spreading plant into your yard.
It seems that before I moved into my current residence that a former occupant decided to plant a few mint plants under the kitchen window in a sheltered spot.:eek-new:
Now many years later it is spreading out of control.:cower:
It has spread from the small patch in the back our the house to my front lawn and is taking over.

I think it is slowly choking out my carpet grass.:nightmare: Something I would have thought impossible because of the age and thickness of the lawn and the fact that this old time carpet grass will actually grow across the sidewalk if not trimmed back.:disillusionment:

But this damn mint plant stays green all year and grows like crazy during the cold season while the lawn grass is dormant.:concern:
Worse, from what advice I find on the internet it will take a weapon of mass destruction to kill it.:upset:
I fear the nice thick lawn that was the favorite place for my friends and myself to play football on when we were kids is doomed, as I can find no product that will kill the mint without also killing the lawn.
Most even state I may have to have a barren herbicide soaked lawn for at least 3 years and even then no guarantees.:disgust:
:I'm Pissed

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But this damn mint plant stays green all year and grows like crazy during the cold season while the lawn grass is dormant.:concern:

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I have a similar problem, Mr. Toad, the previous owner(s) planted some English Ivy; now it grown up 50 foot trees, just a mess.
It is as hard to kill as bamboo.....sulfuric acid...:apthy:

I have had mint in the yard since my Bride started a herb garden years ago. I like it and find it easy to cut back. Of course I don't have a lawn (or a lawn mower) as I prefer natural.
I also have too much ivy, 3 or 4 types. I find it easy to cut back. It don't hurt trees unless you let it go. Take your pocket knife and cut each vine around the tree about eye level, it looks nice. Don't cut the bark as "ringing" a tree will kill it. Round-up will kill it if you are persistent as will a weed eater . I like it as a ground cover, find I can control it with the weed eater or hand pulling it up from flower beds.


Plants require 3 things, nutrients, water, and light. If you keep cutting off the leaves, that mint will die. Use the mower or a weed eater. You will have to do it often for a few weeks.

If you have a bad patch or two, Round-up will help speed up the process. It might take 3 or four applications over a couple weeks to get it all. That Zoyia grass you have will then take back over. In big patches, you can speed up recovery by moving small 3 inch plugs of it over there. It is hard to start from seed.

Picked up 300 pounds of garden soil today and 150 pounds of topping seed can start in.
After thinking (and drinking) here on the porch for a few weeks, have decided one good place to start a Primrose bed might be where I can it see it often from this chair:untroubled:.

How about between my Branch and my Frog Pond?

(old photo):
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This photo is deceptive in perspective. There is plenty of room behind that Plum Yew plant. I just have to build it up some.


That hill I built has shrunk. As I add some height back to it, I can fill in between the back of the Branch and the Frog Pond on the left side with good dirt for the PrimRose bed. I will have to move that hosta in the left hand corner of this photo:
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One more photo for fun effect ---
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Here comes Mr Frog up the steps to catch dinner:
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--birds need to haul ass -- :distracted: