By Donna Westfall – February 23, 2022
There’s not a whole lot of color in Crescent City-Del Norte County during the winter, so it’s always a feast for the eyes when tulips and daffodils burst forth with their blooms starting in February.
There is another colorful array of flowers called PRIMROSES that will brighten up any spot in the garden as well as in the house.
They bloom up to six weeks and can continue to flower up to 5 years. After bloom die down, they can be divided and replanted. In our county, they can be treated as perennials which means they come back versus plants like marigolds that only last one season. The color array is large from white, to yellow, pinks, purples, blue, red, orange and multi-colored. They prefer cool summers and if planted in full sun, do not like to be dried out. Surround them with mulch.
Would you eat primroses? Some people eat the flowers raw in vegetables or in salad like a salad green or added to fruit salads. Some cook the flowers and eat them like vegetables which brings up the question should they be considered a vegetable or a fruit? There are 11 vegetables that are actually fruits including the tomato and avocado. What else are they good for? The leaves can be used in soups and to make tea. Flowers can be added to dessert dishes. Having said that, some sites report that primroses can be toxic to dogs, cats and horses.
Evening primrose oil is sold for a number of conditions like eczema, PMS and diabetic neuropathy for short term use, but always check to see if it works in combination with any other meds you may be taking.
Meanwhile, sit back and enjoy a dazzling burst of color when you plant your primroses between tulips and daffodils.
