American Primrose Society’s 2024 National Show – Friday May 3, 2024: High Elms Garden Tour and Reception

We are delighted to invite American Primrose Society and New England Chapter members (and their guests) to a special evening at High Elms Garden. You won’t want to miss this chance to connect with friends and fellow Primrose enthusiasts on the evening before the National Primrose Show and Sakonnet Plant sale in Little Compton, Rhode Island!  See below for details and RSVP information.

Date

Friday, May 3rd, 6 – 7:30 PM

Location

High Elms, 79 Peckham Road, Little Compton, RI

Refreshments

Wine, beer, non-alcoholic drinks

Hors d’oeuvres (including vegetarian)

Home-made cookies

Cost

$30 per person.

RSVP 

By April 24th with your payment to reserve your place.

Check payable to Gioia Browne and send to 79 Peckham Road, LITTLE COMPTON, RI 02837.

Please include your name(s), mailing address and email address.

Questions

gi*********@ic****.com

High Elms Garden

Stone walls frame this seventeenth-century farm house set amid six acres of organically managed gardens and meadows. The owners, Gioia Browne and Jim Marsh, have enhanced the mature landscape by adding nine gardens and planting more than 300 trees and shrubs. Their collection is documented in a database that contains more than 2,000 species and cultivars from nearly 500 genera.

The woodland garden flanking the nineteenth-century barn is planted with ferns, Jack-in-the-pulpits, a leatherwood (Dirca decipiens), and many woodland beauties under decades-old rhododendrons.

Shaded by a white wisteria, the enchanting summer house terrace overlooks the rock garden with its bulbs, ferns, primroses, dwarf conifers, and ground covers. In 2019, the rock garden was expanded and a circle garden was created.

From March to November, the border blooms with primrose, allium, clematis, annuals, dahlias, asters and shrubs. Spring shades of blue, yellow, and white give way to a palette of blue, purple, red, yellow, and orange. Nearby are the shrub walk and the recently-created circle terrace at the overlook.

The bog garden features flood-tolerant natives including magnolia, clethra, azaleas, primrose, iris and gentian. Every spring the resident frogs wake after a long winter to spend the summer in the lotus pool.

The spring garden is planted with snowdrops, pink daffodils, scilla, and other ephemerals. The treasured Edgeworthia chrysantha and Corylopsis pauciflora are sited to be seen from the house as they unfurl in early spring. Garden seating throughout High Elms Garden enhances the appreciation of individual plants, insects, birds, and garden views.

American Primrose Society’s 2024 National Show – Saturday May 4, 2024 Update

The American Primrose Society’s National Show, sponsored by the New England Chapter, will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2024 at the Little Compton Community Center, 34 Commons, Little Compton, Rhode Island from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm.  Private events start on Friday, May 3 for American Primrose Society Members.

As the days grow longer and the warmth of the sun starts to seep into our gardens, it’s a sure sign that spring is upon us! This marks the beginning of our eagerly anticipated Primrose Show at the Community Center in Little Compton, RI and the adjacent Sakonnet Plant Fair at Veterans’ Field. It’s a time when our vibrant community of primrose enthusiasts comes together to celebrate the beauty and diversity of these beloved blooms.

We are thrilled to announce that preparations for our Spring Show are well underway. Whether you’re a seasoned exhibitor or a newcomer to the world of primrose cultivation, we encourage you to join us in showcasing the beauty and versatility of these enchanting flowers. Your participation not only adds to the richness of our event but also provides invaluable inspiration to fellow growers and enthusiasts. We look forward to seeing you there!

Schedule of Events

Friday, May 3rd 2024

1:00 – 3:00 PM       Open garden hosted by Dorothy Swift

4:00 – 6:00 PM       Early benching and set up at Little Compton Community Center

6:00 – 7:30 PM       Open garden and Reception hosted by Gioia Browne at High Elms

  • RSVP details to follow

Saturday, May 4th 2024

Little Compton Community Center – 34 Commons St., Little Compton, RI 02837

*Primrose Show and Lectures are FREE admission and open to the public*

8:00 – 9:00 AM        Last minute benching at Community Center

9:00 – 10:00 AM      Primrose Show Judging

9:30AM – 2:30 PM  Primrose Show and Plant Sales Open to Public

1:00 – 1:30 PM        Lecture in Conference Room

  • Kris Fenderson, “Primulas Past and Present in New Hampshire”

1:45 – 2:15 PM        Lecture in Primrose Show Hall

  • Amy Olmsted, “‘A Walk and Talk Around the Show Tables’ – Learn the Best Primroses to Grow in New England”

And of course, check out the Sakonnet Plant Fair at Veterans’ Field! For more info visit their website

 

The American Primrose Society National Show – May 4, 2024

The American Primrose Society National Show will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2024 from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm at the Little Compton Community Center, 34 Commons, Little Compton, Rhode Island.   Held in conjunction with the Sakonnet Plant Fair.  Private events starting on Friday, May 3 for American Primrose Society Members.

APS Show and Judge’s Training – March 9, 2024

Fellow Primula Lovers!

Have you ever wondered what the criteria for the judges are at an APS Show?  Do you want to improve your chances of receiving a ribbon? Perhaps you would like to gain experience to qualify as a judge?  Now is the time to attend the APS Training this Saturday, March 9th via Zoom, or in person if you are in Juneau, AK.

The first half of the training will be on Exhibiting your Primula; Hear tips and tricks from the experts, Ed Buyarski and Judith Sellers.

The second half will be a presentation on judging.

Deadline to join the Zoom Presentation is 11 pm March 8.

If you plan on attending, log in on the APS website, choose ‘Members’ from the main menu and click on ‘APS Show and Judge’s Training‘ for details.

Thank you,

Patricia Hartman

APS President

 

Elizabethan Primroses and Other Oddities – The Anomalous Types Zoom Lecture

Join us for a Zoom lecture on Wednesday, February 21st at 7:00-8:00 pm EST.  Dean Wiegert will be sharing his experiences growing and crossing anomalous primroses. The Zoom link will be emailed out a day in advance – please RSVP to Laurel at ly****@gm***.com to receive the Zoom link. Please note – spots are limited.
Elizabethan Primroses and Other Oddities: The Anomalous Types Hose-in-hoses, Jack-in-the-Greens, Jackanapes – these are types of primrose variants that have been treasured by collectors since the 16th and 17th centuries. Modern growers have succeeded in rediscovering these plants and other new variants. The New England Chapter of The American Primrose Society (APS) invites you for a visit with Dean Wiegert who will survey the anomalous primula variants. Dean, a former APS Secretary, is fascinated by these primula curiosities. He is also an amateur breeder. He’ll share the unusual results of his own experiments as well as the plants he’s raised from seed produced by more experienced growers and collectors in the UK and Europe.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024, 7:00PM-8:00PM, EST

Organized and sponsored by the New England Chapter of The American Primrose Society, Zoom hosting courtesy of The American Primrose Society.