Primulas etc.

[StephenH]

My son recently gave me some pre-planted pots of primulas in various colours, and narcissi. The primulas are already in full flower, having been grown under glass, presumably, and the narcissi are also well advanced. They're supposed to stay in the bowls as indoor plants, but they're all fully hardy, and have been hardened off over the last few days, and haven't come to any harm, so I've just planted them all in the front garden, teasing the roots out in the approved manner to prevent them continuing to grow round in a circle.
He also provided a camellia, which is a bit more problematical, as it grows up to 3 metres high and wide, but I can squeeze it in at the back of the back garden, though it'll be too close to the big apple tree to be ideal. I've told him not to provide any more large shrubs or trees, and to check the label for the ultimate dimensions!

[Jungle Jane]

You could put the camellia in a pot,mine grows about one millimetre a year,very slowly. Beautiful plant being evergreen. Just needs ericaceous compost....
Edit to add mines in the soil,I dug out some clay & filled with 3/4 bag of ericaceous compost.

[StephenH]

Thanks for the advice. I've planted it in the back garden, in the compost it came in, and will try to remember to give it a mulch of ericaceous compost from time to time.
I read a bit about them: apparently they like partial shade, so the proximity to the apple tree isn't necessarily a problem.

[Jungle Jane]

Yes mines in shade for most of the day & happy,the apple tree shouldn’t be a problem

[nick the grief]

My mum and dad used to share a love of camelias with their neighbours and they had about 20 in various pots from 8" up to 40ltr size and they thrived. and when they got too big Dad used to wait for the neighbours to go on holiday and cut them down to a few bits then he'd re-arrange them and hide the 'pruned' ones in amongst the others and they looked dead for a few months but they broke bud from bits you couldn't see buds. SO theyre tougher than they look.

Your primroses, enjoy them then when they've stopped flowering , dig them up and plant them somewhere shady and look after them ( a drop of 1/2 strength tomato feed) and then next year they should flower again. you may beable to split them to make even more.

Same for your narcissi - remove the flower heads as you don't want them setting seed but build up the buld for next year.

[StephenH]

Thanks for the advice!