What better way to start our cottage gardens blog than with Primroses in Spring, and what better place than from the gardens of our 300 year old thatched holiday cottages by the sea on Ireland’s East coast.

I’m a total beginner at blogging so it will be an adventure all round, suggestions are more than welcome.

Primroses

The primroses have been amazing this year with the banks at Garden Cottage totally covered with blooms and looking stunning.

Cottage garden blog
Primrose banks in May
New Stream Garden at The Cottages
Primroses
Along the path to Honeymoon Cottage

New in 2014, the Stream Garden where the primrose seedlings from last year were planted and are thriving, I’m amazed at how much they have bulked up in just a year.

Along the path at Honeymoon Cottage they are multiplying at a great rate to make a perfect show following on from the snowdrops and early polyanthus of February and March.

Propagation

The best time for dividing primroses is when the plants have finished flowering. Lift clumps and divide them by hand which is easy to do, generally get 5 new plants from each clump. It’s best to get the divided plants in the ground in their new location ASAP and remember to give them a good watering to settle them in. For plants that have self-seeded just tease them out gently to minimise root damage and plant in their new home, again with a good watering. They love to grow in sun and part shade on banks and in hedgerows.

Folklore

There’s an abundance of Primrose folklore, the story I like best is of their ability to let people see fairies. If you touch a fairy rock with the right number of Primroses in a posy you will be shown the way to fairyland…I think we’re already there!