MONTY’S PLANT OF THE WEEK

PRIMROSE Primula vulgaris I’m often asked which is my favourite plant, and the humble primrose is near the top of the list. Primroses, which reach their peak between the end of February and the middle of March, like slightly damp ground, some light shade and preferably alkaline or neutral soil. Mine grow happily beneath trees and shrubs, and they also look good in pots. If your ground is very heavy, the addition of leafmould as an annual mulch will help. Primroses quickly spread by seed, cross-fertilising to produce an array of delicate yellows from almost white to a deep canary splash.