Lifting and dividing primulas

Lifting and Dividing Primulas

The banks of the Medieval moat around the Orchard is somewhere plants can self-seed, such as wild roses, brambles for nesting habitat and primroses. These are native primroses that have hybridised with oxlips and cowslips. We've encouraged them to arrive through more sympathetic management of the sward - no longer strimming and allowing things to grow. Primroses seed easily, but lifting, dividing and replanting helps them extend and colonise new areas.

Lifting the Primulas

• The perfect time to lift, divide and move primulas is as they finish flowering.
• You can do the same for snowdrops earlier in the spring, Erythronium later, and Narcissi that aren't flowering well - identify those and lift them in September.
• Lift clumps with a border fork. You'll get many new small plants from a few clumps.
• Take the clumps from different places so there are still plenty left in each area.

Replanting the Primulas

• Tease apart each clump with your hands to give several small plants.
• Cut off all the top growth to leave just roots and green stubs - this stops them drying out.
• New roots will grow after planting, so don't stress about damaging the roots.
• Patches where the grass is already sparse are perfect for planting into.
• Make a slit in the grass, put the plant in and firm the soil down around it.

Articulating an Aesthetic

• These little tasks may not seem significant, but they accumulate to take a garden to the next level and create the special atmosphere you're looking for.
• Decide on your aesthetic, be confident with it and let it run through the whole garden. I want a soft aesthetic where the gardening feels light-touch - native plants such as oxeye daisies, primroses and cow parsley are allowed to arrive even in the more formal areas.

Gardening broken down is just a series of simple tasks - it's how you orchestrate them that makes the difference. Get the tasks under your belt first, then learn to orchestrate.

Plant Directory

Anthriscus sylvestris

Cow parsley

Hardy, short-lived herbaceous perennial or sometimes biennial

Apiaceae

Erythronium species and cultivars

Dog's tooth violets, fawn lilies

Hardy bulbous perennials

Liliaceae

Galanthus species and cultivars

Snowdrops

Hardy bulbous perennials

Amaryllidaceae

Leucanthemum vulgare

Ox-eye daisy

Hardy herbaceous perennial

Asteraceae

Narcissus species and cultivars

Daffodils

Hardy bulbous perennials

Amaryllidaceae

Primula elatior

Oxlip

Hardy semi-evergreen perennial

Primulaceae

Primula veris

Common cowslip

Hardy semi-evergreen perennial

Primulaceae

Primula vulgaris

Primrose

Hardy semi-evergreen perennial

Primulaceae

Rosa canina

Wild dog rose

Hardy deciduous shrub

Rosaceae

Rubus fruticosus

Bramble

Hardy deciduous scrambling shrub

Rosaceae