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| Primula found among the ruins of the Viking church |
One morning back in March, I spied small containers
of primula displayed on a plant rack in front of the nearby Trader Joe’s grocery store.
The one I bought sported deep blue flowers, the hue of its petals bordering on
purple. At home, after adding the primula to a circular bed under the big live
oak out front, I used a digital camera to photograph the blossoms. The petals photographed as blue, but not the proper shade of blue, not even after I changed the settings on the camera
multiple times, nor after I fiddled with the color saturation on my computer.
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| Still missing the hint of purple |
As I sat at my computer trying to get the colors right, I remembered the pale yellow primula I spotted on an April day several years ago on the Orkney island of Egilsay. I found the primula growing wild among the ruins of the round-towered Viking church where, according to some accounts, Saint Magnus was brutally murdered in 1117.
In March when I bought the primrose, the sunshine, the chill
in the air, and the wind made me feel as though I were back on Egilsay,
although here in coastal South Carolina wind is less pervasive.
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| Primroses growing in the wild on Skye |
Last month I traveled to Scotland again. This time it was near Elgol on the Isle of Skye that I came across the pale yellow primula growing in the wild. This time the day was overcast. This time the primrose climbed hills.
Welcome, Frances, to the blogosphere! Lovely photos. Keep us abreast of the novel with an excerpt or two from time to time. If I could figure out how, I'd follow your blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jo Anne. I'm new to this, but maybe click on "Subscribe by email"?
DeleteLike very much, Francis. I would like to subscribe, but I believe you haven't added the gadget that lets a reader do this. Should be available in the gadget choices on the design page.
ReplyDeleteCarol
Thank you so much, Carol. I think the Subscribe feature is working now. This is definitely a work in progress.
DeleteLove this, Frances. THIS IS SO YOU. You really take great pictures....and always with your lovely description. !!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bren!
DeleteJust wait till I put you to work on my Kentucky Garden! Hopefully it isn't a jungle of Shasta's, but that might be nice too!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait! Shall I bring you a camellia seedling?
DeleteHow lovely to see Egilsay mentioned! I owned an old church (not the Viking one ...) there, with my partner Ian, and we were regular visitors until recently. We had rare wild orchids in our field, an excuse not to mow the grass... There were also small seashore flowers, varieties of heathers and worts, which alhough I tried to grow them when we were back at home, didnt like the milder air of Alva. I loved the primula too, and have had success with taking a few plants from near the old ruins and even now their ancestors grow on, in our current garden. Your photographs and stories are very vocative, thank you
ReplyDeleteThank you, Judy. So glad you have had success with the primula.
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