Companion plants

Subcategories

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  Bulbs

  We always have a large selection of potted spring flowering bulbs available at the nursery. They are an essential part of any spring display of primroses and hellebores whether it be in pots or in the garden. 

  Taking into account the different flowering periods we recommend daffodils, crocuses and snowdrops for the earliest flowering primroses and hellebores. Tulips and hyacinths also work for later flowering polyanthus such as Yellow Cowichans or Coronation cowslips. We also like Japanese primroses combined with bluebells or muscari. For the Alpine Primula, there is a wide range of suitable bulbs such as dwarf irises or botanical tulips.

  Avoid planting bulbs with moisture loving Candelabras and Belled Primulas as they will not like the same damp conditions.     

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  Perennials

  There are many perennial shade-loving plants that will grow beautifully with primroses and hellebores. Companion plants that offer interesting foliage include ferns, hostas, brunnera, heuchera, euphorbias, etc. Other plants that flower at a similar time are violas, wood anemone, forget me nots, pulmonarias. For the later flowering delicate Japanese primroses we like aquilegias or Solomon’s seal. 

  For the moisture loving Primula like candelabras, we suggest Japanese irises, astilbes, ferns, trollius, ligularia, rodgersias etc

  Companion plants for Alpine primula, try saxifragas or gentianas.

  We always have a few perennials for sale in the nursery. This list tends to change every year so we will put a few on-line when we get chance. 

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  Cyclamen

  Cyclamen are tuberous perennial plants and surprisingly also belong in the family Primulaceae. Many of the spring flowering species such as Cyclamen coum are grown with early-flowering Primula and Helleborus and will naturalise slowly in the garden creating beautiful displays. The autumn flowering C. hederifolium will leap into life as most other flowers in the garden are dying down, but don’t be tempted to grow them together with the spring flowering species as C. hederifolium is rather thuggish and tends to take over.

  Some of the other species will need a bit more looking after as they are quite tender and the watering can be trickier as they are Mediterranean plants for the most part. This means they often have a dry dormant period over the summer and do not like wet winters either. These plants will appeal to the collectors out there. They can be grown in pots in similar conditions to auriculas in alpine houses or cold greenhouse where you can keep more of an eye on the watering.

  Our collection was inherited from Philippe Le Goff and his nursery Le Clos d’armoise and is the result of many years of collecting. 

  Please note : you will receive potted tubers. Unfortunately we cannot send Cyclamen tubers outside of the EU because of CITES requirements.

  For more information about growing Cyclamen see our information pages on Growing Cylcamen.