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This
polyanthus primula cultivar is quite widely
available. It
has dark bronze foliage with deep purple flowers
with a yellow stripe. One leading Scottish nursery
notes that it was found in Ireland, but doesn’t
say just where it originated.
Now is time to set the record straight.
It was raised by Joe Kennedy, the noted
Primula breeder from Ballycastle.
Joe
gave this plant to a lady in Limavady; I
was visiting her garden one day and she divided it
and gave one half to me. The person who held the
National Collection of vulgaris primulas also had it
in their collection.
I
showed it in the ‘Belfast Spring Show’ a few
times, winning first in its class.
I entered it as Joe Kennedy Hyb.
Then Joe came to visit our garden in April
1987 – he was surprised at the way this flower was
growing.
He
named the Primula that day in our garden,
calling it ‘Dark Rosaleen’ for my wife.
Dark
Rosaleen is still doing very well for me.
I
show it in Coleraine Show each year, still winning
firsts with this plant. The plant in the picture was
shown at the Dublin AGS show in April this year.
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