My Favorite Plant in the Garden -- Primroses on Parade

I've decided, like a few other bloggers have in the past, to make my favorite plant in the garden an entire genus, and a very common one at that -- Primroses. At this time of year, everyone goes gaga over Hellebores. I do love them, and I've done a post showing a bunch not long ago. But I have a soft spot in my heart for Primroses too. I love them all, from cowslips to common-as-dirt grocery store/big box store cheapos. They're all flowering right now and looking good, they grow like gangbusters in our climate and they make me happy.

Let's have a Primrose Parade!

The taller, yellow Primula veris (cowslip) in back, Primula veris 'Sunset Shades' in front

Primula auricula marginata 'Mauve Mist' (Read my previous favorite plant post about this plant here)

Primula vulgaris 'Irish Innisfree' -- one of the recently introduced dark-leaved Kennedy Primroses

Another Kennedy Primrose, 'Irish Drumcliff'

My two newest acquisitions, not yet in the ground:

Primula sieboldii 'Lacy Lady'

You can't go wrong with its frilly flowers and interesting foliage

Primula 'Victoriana Gold Lace Red'

I have a couple of double Primroses planted by the stream.

This double red one is flowering so profusely, it looks like I stuck a bouquet in the ground

Primula vulgaris 'Belarina Nectarine'

Brightly colored 99 cent Primroses were one of the first things I planted in my new front garden.

Yes, they're gaudy, but then, gaudy is the whole point of the plantings on top of the recycled concrete wall

 

I planted yellow, scarlet, hot pink and peach Primroses in repeating clusters (the hardware cloth is to protect emerging Eremurus foliage from rampaging crows)

I'm hoping those bright colors will be like a ray of sunshine on the grayest of winter days

 

Even a bit mud-splattered, they cheer me up

Sometimes the foliage and flowers can look a bit ratty when slugs chow down on them. But how can you not love a plant genus that comes in such variety? Do you have any Primroses that I don't? Tell me about them. Do you have a favorite plant this week?

The favorite plant in the garden meme is hosted by Loree at the blog Danger Garden. Check out her post here about her favorite this week, and don't forget to read the comments where other bloggers leave links to their favorites.