Saturday, August 2, 2008

Polyanthus (Primula x polyantha cv.)

Double flowering Polyanthus with the purple ground cover Tradescantia pallida

Polyanthus are one of the mainstays of the winter gardening scene. With their lurid colours they are the sort of flower you expect to find in a Jeff Koons artwork. Remember his Puppy outside The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney in 1995....a living sculpture of plants.
How to use these garish colours in a garden can be difficult .I am sure the plant breeders thought they might give a bright show in a window box on a gloomy dull day.
So how to use them here? I think they are the perfect plant for outside a cubby house to encourage children to take an interest in gardening.
Occasionally amongst the batch you will find some flowers which have more unusual colour such as this one with blue veins in the petals,

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