Primula marginata Mauve Mist

The marginata primulas have both beautiful flowers and attractive foliage, making them much valued alpine garden plants.  I have some outside in the sand bed and in troughs too but the farina on the leaves gets largely washed away by rain, so it is under glass that the best effect is seen.   They're easy to grow, tolerant of my occasionally erratic watering and easily propagated by shoot cuttings.  Unfortunately they are prone to infestations of root aphids which are difficult to control and weaken the plants, often through transmitting plant viruses. This is mostly a problem under glass but the ease of propagation helps us keep the plants going.  I'll be taking cuttings when they finish flowering.

Another grey day, often wet.  Low cloud shrouded the hills as I arrived at pottery this morning.  I popped the latest plant pot holder on the drying shelf, reglazed the damaged edges of the gentian door plate and added some oxide wash to my coil decorated bowl.  Oh, and added the sides to another plant pot holder which now awaits finessing next week.  So a productive morning :-)

In the hope of a dry interlude later, I had asked C round for lunch before we walked the dogs.  Soup and rolls consumed as scones cooked in the oven.   Replete, we might have preferred a siesta after but with brighter skies we set out for the Dysynni estuary where the Megs had a good run and sniff session for an hour or so.   We made it back to the car as the rain returned.

Siesta, tea at Jamie's, soup again! - his was home-made.  Blip, snooze, bed.   Taking my Mum to see Ruth tomorrow for a couple of days.