GARDENING

In Victorian times, when there was a whole language using flowers as symbols, the primrose was a flower for lovers. It meant: I can't live without you

Early risers

Warmer days are hopefully on the horizon and Elly West looks forward to the first flowering perennial of the season: the primrose

Spring is finally on its way and, to prove it, we see the first flowering perennials, our much-loved primrose, or Primula vulgaris. I love this time of year for spotting the plants that mark the changes of the seasons. They are few and far between so all the more noticeable and enjoyable. When the primroses come out under the magnolia tree in my garden, I know that the fun is starting for the year. Primroses are easily recognised by most as one of our common native wildflowers and are seen beneath hedgerows, in woodland clearings and on grass verges across the country. Their cheerful creamy-yellow flowers are an important nectar source for butterflies and early foraging bees and they have a simple beauty that calls out for a closer look.

As a child I used to love Cicely Mary Barker's book, Flower Fairies, which was a collection of flower mythology and plant lore. I also loved the colour yellow so Barker’s Primrose Fairy was a firm favourite. It reads: “The Primrose opens wide in spring; her scent is sweet and good: It smells of every happy thing in sunny lane and wood.” Confession: I'm still a fan today.

The name primrose is derived from the Latin prima rosa, or first rose, although it's not actually related to roses at all. However, the primula family is a large one, encompassing native cowslips, as well as all the more ornate and colourful cultivated forms found in garden centres and nurseries, including candelabra varieties and beautiful auriculas in jewel-like colours and dusky rare forms with exquisite markings that are highly collectable. In Victorian times, when there was a whole language using flowers as symbols, the primrose was a flower for lovers. It meant: I can't live without you. Primroses can be found across the centuries in poetry and literature. John Donne wrote The Primrose, equating the flower with womanhood. Shakespeare's plays use the primrose as a symbol for youth, femininity, but also early death. In Irish folklore, primroses in the doorway protected the home from fairies and, in 1881, a whole day was named after the spring flower –Primrose Day, held on 19 April, commemorates the death of British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. The primrose was his favourite flower and Queen Victoria sent a wreath of primroses to his funeral.

Primulas are tough little perennials that are easy to grow and care for, and also easy to buy at this time of year, found en masse among the bedding displays in trays in garden centres, as well as outside supermarkets and greengrocers. Whether you choose the traditional pale-yellow flowers, or some of the many brightly coloured forms, they are ideal for giving an instant boost to containers, hanging baskets and window boxes, or at the front of a border, under deciduous trees or along the edge of a path. Once planted, they will merrily self-seed and spread themselves around, coming back year after year. They grow in sun or shade and they're not too fussy about soil type, preferring slightly damper soils, happy on the heavy clay many of us have in our gardens in and around Bristol.

Flowers appear from February to May and leaves are often evergreen through winter, although they may die back in exposed,

colder areas. Once planted, they don't need much attention, although some of the cultivated forms will benefit from a diluted solution of tomato fertiliser to give flowering a boost, particularly if they are growing in pots and have been there for a while. Start feeding them as soon as you see the first buds forming, every ten days or so until the first flowers open, then deadhead them regularly to keep them coming.

Growing the cultivated varieties of Primula auricula, often known simply as auriculas, can become addictive, as there are so many colours and forms from which to choose. There are literally thousands of auricula hybrids, and variations include double petals, green-grey edges, borders and stripes. Auriculas were first recorded in England in the Elizabethan period but became more popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries when collectors and breeders were constantly trying to outdo each other in their search for the perfect flower. ‘Auricula Theatres’ became a thing, as a way to show off the plants –each in a small, individual pot and displayed in rows on shelves. These theatres are still popular today and a quick Google search reveals lots of ‘how-to’ guides, if you fancy making one yourself. A specialist nursery or Rare Plant Fair is a good place to try if you want to start a collection. The next one in Somerset is on 20 March at the Bishop's Palace in Wells (rareplantfair.co.uk).

Also worth a mention is that the flowers and leaves of primroses are edible. Add them to salads for something a bit different, or crystallise them for Mothering Sunday or Easter decorations for cakes. n

• ellyswellies.co.uk

Plant of the Month: Magnolias

Magnolias come out in full force in early spring, and the pure white Magnolia stellata, although less showy than some of the larger varieties, is an ideal choice for smaller spaces with its beautiful starry flowers. Also known as 'star magnolia', this variety is slow growing and eventually forms a deciduous shrub up to two metres tall. The buds are amazingly tactile, covered in downy fur, which then open into large, multi-petalled flowers appearing on bare branches before the leaves. Plants prefer sun or partial shade, and neutral to acidic soils, although they can also do well on alkaline soil as long as it's not too dry. Grow this magnolia as a specimen plant in a pot, or in the centre of a lawn, or as part of a mixed border, underplanted with small spring bulbs such as Iris reticulata, Narcissus 'Têteà-tête' and grape hyacinths. Choose a sheltered spot, preferably away from strong winds as the flowers are short-lived at the best of times, and can disappear overnight in a storm. Avoid over-pruning, as you might ruin the shape, but if you do need to keep the size in check, cut it back in summer when it’s in full leaf. Also be sure to remove any damaged, diseased or crossing stems.

Spring cleaning

As the lighter, brighter days return and we feel energised to start anew, Rupert Oliver of Rupert Oliver Property Agents looks at the rise of #Cluttercore: reorganising rather than purging

“Nothing feels quite as satisfying as coming home to a house that sparkles,” maintains Good Housekeeping magazine. Personally, I can think of quite a few things that are way more satisfying – like bingeing the latest Netflix thriller or having friends round for some alcoholic refreshments. In the latter case, the only thing that would be ‘sparkling’ is the Prosecco. But it’s now March and, traditionally speaking, it is around this time that spring cleaning is supposed to come into play...

Why spring clean?

The ‘spring clean’ is a tradition rooted in the 1800s when lamps were lit with whale oil or kerosene, which produced great amounts of grime. Combine this with the lack of windows being opened during the winter months and homes were left coated in layers of soot, desperately requiring cleansing attention.

In Jewish custom, spring cleaning is linked to Passover, marking the liberation of Jews from slavery in Egypt, where a general cleaning takes place in order to remove any yeast bread, or chametz, from the home. It’s the psychological impact though, that is the most powerful these days. When the lighter, brighter days return, we feel energised by the sunlight and eager to start anew. (Well, that’s the theory.)

Introducing Cluttercore

Dust and grime aside, one way we can reinvigorate our homes is to give the interior an uplift, a new perspective, and that can be inspired by tuning into the trends. Reassuringly for those of us who find hoovers heavy and stressful and dusters high maintenance, one of the latest interior fashion flavours is Cluttercore. This has been fed by the phenomenon of lockdown, which has not only made our spaces more multifunctional, combining offices and nurseries with a house’s standard functions, but all that time at home and its new more complex roles has also driven us to sort and purge and either eBay, charity shop or otherwise dispose of the results.

The other major thing lockdown has done in the home environment is fed the taste for our domestic surroundings as permanent restorative sanctuaries, and so for those who prefer squirrelling to cleansing it has been more about reorganisation than purging. The process of going through cupboards, attics and dark corners has resulted in the rediscovery of precious personal knick-knacks that never got unpacked from the last house move, leather-bound editions of classic books that may not be valuable but have visual intrigue on a prominent shelf, and family china that, with careful curation, is a powerful retro statement of the 1970s.

Big or small canvas

This ‘clutter’ is not rubbish, it is the result of an instinct to surround ourselves with the personal bits and pieces that make us feel more ‘us’. It’s comforting and life-enhancing to have little groupings of pieces that we have collected or that we value. Nothing is forbidden – indeed such items could well include those domestic social parodies of china carthorses, crystal decanters or flying ducks, but they are presented outside of their traditional roles, as retro, kitsch, creative, personal expressions.

These collected items don’t have to be small and clustered – the eclectic maximalist look can make the whole room your clutter canvas. Vintage posters, handmade rag rugs, 1960s Habitat chairs, fabrics from the market in Istanbul, floral china serving dishes, the papier mâché vase that just needed a bit of basic restoration and a lick of paint. Your cupboard is your oyster and if the cupboard doesn’t deliver, then why not open it up with eBay and Gumtree? Social media will feed your research (#Cluttercore currently counts for more than 13 million views on TikTok), and there is no need to feel bound by must-have purchases to achieve the look, because it’s all about surrounding yourself with what you like. And the best thing of all? No hoovers required. n • rupertoliver.co.uk; 14 Waterloo Street, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4BT

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