In the world of Primrose culture, the name Barnhaven carries as much cache as the name Gucci or Versace does in Fashion. Or, more accurately, when one grows primroses from Barnhaven seed, or obtains Barnhaven plants, it’ the same thing as buying an outfit at a couture Milan Fashion house. So today, I am remembering the heyday of Primrose mania, in the United States during the 1930’s and 40’s, inspired by my Barnhaven seedlings.
Simply said, Barnhaven equals provenance, for the breeding lines can be traced back to 1935 when the tiny nursery founded by Florence Bellis in rural Oregon during the depression. Last Year, when the current owners of Barnhaven visited our gardens during the American Primrose Society National Show, they shared some seed with us from their specialized collections of Polyanthus primroses. Today, anyone can order these most exclusive of primroses, but only from the source, Barnhaven Primroses. My seedlings are starting to bloom, and are very choice and beautiful, but the back story of this famous line is even better.
A vintage Barnhaven print ad from a 1940’s American Primrose Society Journal
Some seedling Barnhaven Polyanthus in my garden. The colors of Polyanthus Primroses may seem odd, when mixed together, but there is something about these strange tints, in tones and hues which we would rarely combine in any setting, with rusty mauves, gold, brownish reds and purples, combined with pale yellows. These are natures colors, and I think they look best when set against natural browns and tans found in garden soil and composts. They feel vintage, and in fact, they are somewhat vintage selections, which adds to their appeal, I think. There are a few old images in various gardening journals of the original Barnhaven farm, and there is a particular black and white snapshot of the planting fields in Oregon, with rows of vintage hued Poly’s, and when I see my Barnhaven poly’s in bloom on an overcast spring day, I always recall that image, imagining what is may look like in color. In many ways, I imagine that it looks a bit like my garden bed, which, although at a smaller scale. has the same natural soil and plants in it. Florence’s plant live on.
