Japanese primrose
Japanese Primrose Primula japonica, originating, as the name suggests, from Japan, is one of the tallest primroses we cultivate.The inflorescence shoots of this perennial are 30-60 cm high.In the upper part of the shoot, small carmine-colored flowers develop in several whorls (in varieties they can also be white, carmine red and pink). Flowering time is May-July.
Leaves up to 25 cm long are gathered in rosettes. This primrose feels best above water in a semi-shaded place. It also grows well under the canopy of tall trees in the company of ferns, perennials and shrubs that are always green, e.g.Rhododendrons.It can also be planted in appropriate places on rockeries.
Japanese primrose is easy to grow.However, we need to provide him with humus, quite fertile and moist soil with an acidic pH.We propagate it by seeds. These plants are easy to sow (they give abundant self-seeding).
Narrow-leaved beekeeper
The narrow-leaved beekeeper Dracocephalum ruyschiana belongs to the Lamiaceae family. It occurs naturally from Central and Eastern Europe to Siberia and Mongolia. In Poland, it is under strict species protection.
The narrow-leaved beekeeper is a perennial that grows up to 60 cm. Reaches 30 cm in width and forms dense clumps.Its erect, stiff and slightly hairy stems have narrow-lanceolate leaves 3-6 cm long, which change color to a deep red in autumn.Plants form short, spiky inflorescences consisting of a dozen or so small flowers.They are most often blue, blue-violet, less often pink and white.
The plant blooms from June to August. It is easy to grow.Requires well sunny or slightly shaded places, loamy-sandy soil, calcareous, not very fertile and quite dry.It is worth knowing that a small spring dose of compound fertilizer (20g per 1m²) will ensure abundant flowering.
The beekeeper copes well with the periodic water shortage. It is classified as a long-lived and frost-resistant plant.It is suitable for perennial beds, for rock and naturalistic gardens, it also looks impressive in containers.It is propagated from seeds sown in autumn and by dividing larger clumps in spring.
Brunner's large-leaved
Brunnera large-leaved Brunnera macrophylla is a perennial whose small flowers, similar to deceptions and forget-me-nots, develop in April-May.Very decorative, until the onset of severe frosts, are its long-tailed, smooth, heart-shaped leaves.
The leaves of the varieties 'Dawson's White' with an irregular chalky white border are particularly decorative, 'Langtress' - with silvery spots along the edges, 'Variegata' - with a wide, almost white, irregular margin and 'Jack Frost' - silvery white with veins and the edge of the leaf in green.
Where to plant brunnery? Best in semi-shaded places, in fertile and moderately moist soil.A good neighborhood for them are ferns, primroses and snowdrops.White varieties of tulips and daffodils look impressive among brunners. Brunnery can also be planted near water reservoirs and used as cover plants, e.g. in parks.
