Vol 83, Issue No. 2 (Spring 2025)
CONTENTS
The View from the President
Agatha Christie’s Blue Primrose by Elizabeth Lawson
ICRA Update
Connections: How the Genus Primula Linked Three People Across the Years
by Merrill Jensen
Growing Primula: An Interview With Julia Pronchikhina by Laurel Chute
Election Reminder
Membership Chairperson & Editor Replacement Ads
Chapter Events
Board Minutes February 23, 2025
From the Archives: A Rae Berry Vignette by Florence Bellis
Officers of the Chapters
THE VIEW FROM THE PRESIDENT
PATRICIA HARTMAN
February rushed through the calendar as I watched for the warmer weather. Venturing out to the compost pile, I noticed the need to tread carefully on areas of the path. The snow and rain of winter have washed away some of the gravel down to bare soil. Slightly sinking into the soft ground and treading carefully, I figured I’d take a short detour back to the house and see if any of the spring primroses have broken dormancy. I found that Primula ‘Dorothy,’ one of the early-spring blooming flowers here in my area of Juneau, is still sleeping. Surviving the unusual winter mix of minimal snow, thawing rain, and freezing temperatures, the P. marginata have awoken. Home is the crevice area, above the garden railway tunnel where the rocks absorb the limited sun of winter and provide fast drainage. A few browning leaves need removal, and a maintenance crew is required to repair a miniature rockslide. Both items are added to my “to-do” list. Upon continuing my search, unfortunately, I did not find any signs of my Primula incana. I add it to the list of items to replace, repair, or look for. Today, the sun brought hope of early spring, warmer weather, and soon to be blossoming flowers. A prelude to days to come.
Glancing around the garden, I see I have my work cut out over the next few months in preparation for the upcoming APS National Show in Juneau. For those of you who are planning on attending, you can find more details online and how to register for the events. Friday, May 16, will be the start of the conference with a guided tour at 1 pm of the Jensen-Olson Arboretum, holder of the Nationally Accredited Collection™ for the Genus Primula. Check the above link for hours and maps of the gar-den. Arrive in the morning and enjoy the beauty of the spring primula or hike the Point Caroline Trail. After the guided tour, Ginger Hudson will hold a workshop about dividing primula for those who are registered for the conference. Friday evening, the APS Juneau Chapter invites you to attend a relaxing event from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm while enjoying views of the ocean and meeting with fellow primula lovers. Plan to attend the PARTY IN THE PRIMULA PATCH and indulge in our version of summer Northern Lights. Weather allowing, you can see the garden trains traveling through the primroses.
On Saturday, entries for the judged show can be brought to the Egan Wing of the University of Southeast Alaska with check-in from 8:00 am until 9:15 am. Between noon and 5:00 pm you can view the ribbons and awards. We currently have lectures planned throughout the day on Alpine Gardens: Primula and Plants, Anomalous Primula, Small Hosta as Companions, Crossing Primula and Section Use, and Primroses in Maritime Climates. Exact titles, presenters, and subject matter can be found closer to the event. Check online for updates over the next several months.
Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, our Keynote speaker, will present on “Nature and Health: through design we can make spaces we want for healing, recovery, exercise, sustenance and pleasure.” Gardens can be therapeutic. Amy’s topic can help you find ways to access healthy strategies at different stages in life as one’s conditions change. Everyone attending the lectures and keynote should be able to find a few useful ideas and information. One never knows when injury, age or illness can sideline us from our gardening passions.
Vendors will have items for sale on Saturday. Check your program and the APS website for details. Bring your primroses to be judged and bring an extra bag for items you cannot pass up. On Sunday, a few gardens will be opened to enjoy the blooming primroses. The Juneau Chapter is looking forward to hosting the APS National Show this year and hope you will enjoy the event and sites we have to offer in Juneau.
I’ll leave you with a recommendation for a book I love to read for the wit and musings as well as the botanical line drawings. In Primroses and Spring, Doretta Klaber writes the following: “How pleasant it is that plants are not calendar bound! The calendar divides the year so arbitrarily, but Nature will have none of it. If you are observant as you go about outdoors, you will see that the dormant periods of plants vary, and that often when you think your plants are quiescent, they are really very actively attending to their business.” Keep checking the garden beds for those spring primroses. Nature has a mind of her own.