10
THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • APRIL 2018
• VARIETYUPDATE
Nearly three hundred varieties andbreeding lines
of primroses, andnearly twenty newcomers to the
BallColegrave catalogue. Thirty doubles and semi-
doubles. No fewer than eight series of polyanthus. This
waswhat visitors toBallColegrave’s annual trialswere
able to see. From a standard sowingdate inweek no. 32,
the floweringperiod stretched fromDecember for Bonelli,
the earliest series in the trial, toMarch for the latest,
Husky. An even longer time span – up to sixmonths -
canbe achieved using a range of sowingdates.
JohnSutton reports.
Novelty varieties, a fast- expanding featureof theprimrose
offer to the company’s customers, was the strongest
focus of attention for trial visitors. Sevenof thesewere
new. All of them have ‘stand-out’ quality, usually for their
colour. An example is the new additionCherish, a lovely
shadesmixture in thepale yellow topale apricot range,
with slightly frilly petal edges. Amore, with thepink of the
petal edges suffusing into the ground colour, is another
notable arrival. LikePassion andothers, these varieties
carry a ‘Buyme!’message to consumers.
Other novelty varieties offer strengths other thanhard-to-
describebut appealingly different colour. The newCupid
White, for example, is anoutstanding rosebud variety, a
sister toCupidYellow. Sweet 16 is a classicdeeppink
with a yellow centre,markedout by huge flower size.
Turning toBallColegrave’smainstream series, bredby
Germanprimrose specialists EbbingLohaus, therewere
further good new introductions. No fewer than six of them
were in the latest-flowering series, Husky. Raspberry
Punch is a very pleasing shadesmixture, andHusky
Midnight Blue, with silver-edgedpetals is another eye-
catcher. In themain season seriesAlaska, pinkbicolour
Appleblossom is new.
Well over half of theprimrose varieties on the trial
bencheswere experimentals, given their chance for
BallColegrave staff and customers to see sideby side
with varieties in the catalogue. A selectminority of these
will become the introductions of 2019 andbeyond.
In theUK this season therewas just one other breeder’s
primrose trial open to trade visitors –Kerley&Son’s
annual Belarina event on their premises near Cambridge.
These fully double varieties are in a league of their own,
bred andpromoted as premiumproducts. Propagated
by tissue culture, they aredistinct from competitors by
the character of the flowers and the very long flowering
period. BallColegrave catalogues a range of the varieties
in this series, andon their trial benches thesewere grown
in1.5litrepots. Three of themwere new, including two in
the larger-floweredPrimaBelarina series. The full Belarina
series is now fifteen varieties strong, with several
selling successfully inother countries but at present
unavailable here.
ValeRoyal Horticultural has established a notable track
record for introducingprimrose varietieswith high
potential for thepremium endof themarket.Many have
come from thededicated specialist breedingwork of
Howard Lupton. Past ValeRoyal triumphs that are still
PRIMROSE REVIEW 2018
Newpolyanthus Victoriana
Lilac Lace.
DesignermixAlaskaSpring
Sunshine in 6-packs.
Amore, a newnovelty variety.
Passion, a new novelty variety.
