I stopped by the Maltby Produce Market this afternoon, and it was open! There were tables full of beautiful primroses of all colors, and I lingered briefly over them. Next weekend I will buy a flat of them and start putting them into the borders in the front yard. They will join their predecessors in the yard, as I have had great luck with these lovely flowers coming back year after year. The mulch of maple leaves protects them from the cold winter temperatures.
The primrose plant is a harbinger of spring, flinging wide the doors to long-awaited warmth and bright sunlight. With this flower’s appearance, winter cold makes its final exit (hopefully!).
The name “primula” is derived from the Latin word primus, meaning “first” or “early.” Nearly every culture makes mention of it somewhere. The ancient Greeks named the primrose plant the flower of the 12 gods. They believed the primrose to contain great healing power, and thought it could conquer many fearsome diseases that did not respond to other herbs.
Ancient residents of Europe, primarily the Germans and their Scandinavian neighbors to the north, believed that primrose flowers were the keys used by Freya, the powerful goddess of love, happiness, and fertility, to open the gates for spring. Freya wore a rainbow-shaped necklace forged by skilled craftsmen. When Freya floated over the world, her jewelry would catch on forests, fields, and hills. Wherever the bright rays of the rainbow fell on the cold ground, primroses would bloom.
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