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Visiting gardens and looking at the plants other people grow has always been something I enjoy. It’s tremendously useful too, allowing me to look out for plants I might like to try growing in my own garden.
Candelabra primulas are amongst the plants that have caught my attention. They wouldn’t normally be happy in my garden conditions, but at the moment I’m building a small bog garden here. This will give damper conditions than I can provide elsewhere in the garden and should suit these and a range of plants that will look good near the pond.
These primulas have a very distinctive structure. The flowers are held in whorls around the stem. They make me think of an old-fashioned tiered cake-stand rather than a candelabra though! (The photos below give a good idea of the plant’s shape. As a new whorl comes into flower at the top, the lowest layer of flowers will be going over.)
There’s a lovely range of colours to choose from, with reds and pinks, oranges and yellows, and purples and mauves. I think the white ones (or perhaps yellow) would probably suit my planting best, but the glorious crimson flower really appealed to me.
As well as colours, there are a large number of species and hybrids. Some are bright and bold, while others are more delicate in appearance. The choice is wide, but space in my garden isn’t. So I will have to be restrained if I go shopping…
Ann Mackay: Inspired by Nature 
Easy to see why these appeal to you. Having many colors to choose from is a plus.
Not knowing anything about primulas, I looked them up and found they’re in a botanical family of their own (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primula).
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It’s a huge family, Steve. Lots of lovely plants that are worth finding space for in the garden…the problem is finding the space! 🙂
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Beautiful image.
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Thank you Anita! 🙂
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The individual flowers are pretty, but I also like the way they’re held up a bit, with each cluster given a bit of separation. They show off beautifully in that last photo; I can see why you’d find it hard not to look for a spot to include them in your garden!
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They are a very unusual shape and look really lovely when planted with ferns. (I need to keep a spot for some!)
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Lovely colour combinations!
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Thank you Indira – their colours are pretty! 🙂
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These ARE lovely, Ann. I hope it won’t be too taxing for you having to limit your selection. 😊
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LOL, I just need a bigger garden….
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Good idea! 🌸
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Not really come across candelabra types, just bigger auriculas. They would look really nice all together in a bog garden.
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They are lovely in groups of colours that work together, especially with ferns. My problem is finding space for all the things I’d like to grow!
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I didn’t know the extent of the details of a flower until I started painting them. Wow. They are very detailed. Some paintings took looker because I was discovering the details.
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I think the close observation you need for painting is a great way to get to know more about flowers and plants.
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Yes, and it isn’t easy to paint something that has such detail. I enjoy painting. It makes me aware that the flowers are so special,. Most of the time I spend hours getting a flower painting done. I paint other things such as water scenes. Someone suggested putting people in a painting. I did. Now I want to do that painting again, only larger. I may need to go to the beach to get the right feel. It is a beach scene with children running to the water. I finished the small version. Now I will work on the larger one using the same idea.
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Love the pix with all the flowers! It looks so pretty!
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Thank you! They are very pretty flowers – hoping to grow some in future. 🙂
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