Primrose-tinted Spectacle
March 12, 2011 § 7 Comments
Over in my weekly column in the Irish Times today, I wrote about the primroses that Joe Kennedy has been breeding in his back garden in Ballycastle, Co Antrim, and which have been introduced to the market this spring. He’s had an avid interest in plant breeding for decades: “rhododendrons, auriculas and all sorts: I can’t pass a stigma!”
He settled on primroses in the late 1970s, and using a gene pool of about twenty old, old Irish cultivars, he gradually produced his own distinct lines of Kennedy primulas. He didn’t sell them, and didn’t look for publicity for them. He mounted spectacular displays at flower shows, where they were seen (and much admired) by other gardeners. But, because of the specialist nature of such events, only a few hundred people would see his plants per year.
His cultivars got more and more refined as the years passed — and they continue to do so, as he is still working on them. Of the thousands that he raises annually, he keeps a hundred or so possibles, casting the others onto the compost heap.
Backyard breeding operation
Then, about five years ago, Pat FitzGerald of FitzGerald Nurseries contacted Joe, and offered to bring his primroses to the public. After a rigorous selection process, two were chosen to be launched this year: ‘Drumcliff’ and ‘Innisfree’. More will be released in 2013: the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s visit to Ireland. It’s not that Joe Kennedy is related to JFK (that I know of), but Pat FitzGerald has a grand nose for a marketing opportunity. And this one is too good to be missed — especially since the primroses bring the Kennedy and FitzGerald names together in a useful coincidence. And, God bless Pat FitzGerald, sure didn’t he manage to bring Yeats into the mix as well, with the names of this year’s introductions. ‘Innisfree’, as you know, is the lake isle where the poet would “arise and go now”, while ‘Drumcliff’ honours the Sligo village where his mortal remains are laid to rest.
Unnamed primrose bred by Joe Kennedy
But, believe me, these little touches will make the primroses more marketable in the United States, which is where Pat FitzGerald is right now — with the aforementioned beauteous Kennedy cultivars. After being launched at the Philadelphia Flower Show, they will be available as plants from Burpee, I believe. When I get more details on that, I’ll post them here.
In the meantime, if you’re Irish, you can buy them from the following garden centres. If you are travelling far, do phone first, just to make sure they’re still in stock.
Arboretum Garden Centre, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow (059 9721558)
Ardcarne Garden Centre, Lanesboro Road, Roscommon, Co Roscommon (090 6627700)
Bandon Garden Centre, Glaslyn Road, Bandon, Co Cork (023 8842260)
Beech Hill Garden Centre, Montenotte Cork, Co Cork (021 4643254)
Blackwater Plantsplus Garden Centre, Kinsalebeg, West Waterford (024 92725)
Canning’s Home & Garden, Sligo., Co Sligo (071 9160060)
Carmel’s Garden Centre, Kilworth, Co Cork (025 27276)
Clonmel Garden Centre, Glenconnor, Clonmel, Co Tipperary (052 6123294)
Coolaught Gardens, Clonroche, Co Wexford (053 9244137)
Dunsland Garden Centre, Glanmire, Co Cork (021 4354949)
Fernhill Garden Centre, Cornamagh, Athlone, Co Westmeath (0906 475574)
Greenbarn Garden Centre, Inchiquin, Killeagh, Co Cork (024 90166)
Haggardstown Garden Centre, Co Louth (042 9337627)
Horkan’s Garden Centre, Bundoran Road, Sligo (071 9138870)
Horkan’s Garden Centre, Turlough, Castlebar, Co Mayo (094 9031435)
Johnstown Garden Centre, Naas, Co Kildare (045 879138)
Jones’ Garden Centre, Swords Road, Donabate, Co Dublin (01 8401781)
McGuire’s Garden Centre, Rossduff, Woodstown, Co Waterford (051 382136)
Nangle’s Garden Centre, Model Farm Rd Carrigrohane Co. Cork (021 4871297)
O’Driscoll’s Garden Centre, Mill Rd, Thurles, Co Tipperary (0504 21636)
O’ Meara’s Garden Centre, Mullingar, Co Westmeath (044 9342088)
The Secret Garden, Aghaneenagh, Newmarket, Co Cork (029 60084)
Northern Ireland
Craigville Garden Centre, Sligo Road, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh BT74 5QR (028 6632 6004)
Glenavy Garden Centre, 26, Main St, Glenavy, Crumlin, Co Antrim BT29 4LW (028 9442 2826)
Joe Kennedy's primroses at the Alpine Garden Society show in Dublin
One Bean Row 
It’s great to see Irish plant cultivars being marketed in such a worldwide way. I purchased some of the plants at Johnstown Garden Centre last weekend.
One seedling which Joe discarded many years ago he passed to Gordon Toner and Gordon named it after his wife – ‘Dark Rosaleen’. It is one I have enjoyed for many years. Pat Fitzgerald is coming to collect some this morning.
Paddy
LikeLike
What an amazing story on plant creation…I recently attended a series of talks by Madeline McKeever from Brown Envelope Seeds and having read this article am somewhat enthused to try my hand so to speak…
LikeLike
Paddy, thanks for the story about ‘Dark Rosaleen’. I knew about the cultivar, but I hadn’t heard the background.
Permaculture Blog: yes! It is a great story. It is wonderful that all of Joe’s years of meticulous work are being given international exposure by Pat FitzGerald.
LikeLike
And delighted to say that we have a small number of primrose ‘Innisfree’ in stock at The Secret Garden centre.
LikeLike
And delighted to say that we have a small number of primrose ‘Innisfree’ in stock at The Secret Garden centre. The foliage colour really is stunning
LikeLike
Jane,
The 5,500 of each of the two primulas produced for the Irish market were snapped up and sold like hot cakes.
Of the two new varieties of Irish/Kennedy primulas launched this year – 50,000 of each are being supplied to the USA where they are proving extremely popular.
Orders are also in from Japan – imagine Irish primulas in Japan, the mind boggles a little.
Great work by Pat Fitzgerald – Fitzgerald Nurseries.
Paddy
LikeLike
Brian, I’ve added you to the list.
Paddy, it’s great to have something so positive and gorgeous coming out of Ireland.
LikeLike