Old Irish Primroses go international

Kennedy Irish Primroses Old Irish Primroses abroad.

What a month of activity for a new Irish Plant introduction! Primula Drumcliff and Innisfree are now widely available in USA, Europe and Japan. These are the first two varieties of the Kennedy Irish Primrose range. Following last years St. Patrick’s Day Primrose presentation by Mrs. Fionnuala Kenny to Americas First Lady Mrs. Michelle Obama word is spreading fast about these unique garden Primroses. Drumcliff and Innisfree are the first of many of these old Irish Primroses.

British Gardening greats feature Kennedy Irish Primroses.

On Thursday of last week BBC Gardener’s World visited FitzGerald Nurseries to film a segment featuring the story behind the Kennedy Irish Primroses for Gardeners World programme presented by Carol Klein to air on March 30th. Carol’s piece was set at FitzGerald Nurseries and in the Irish Famine Garden Newmarket Co. Kilkenny where FitzGerald Nurseries has donated and planted a wider range of these old Irish Primroses. The program also focuses on the native Primroses in the Rath (Ringfort) on the family farm immediately beside the nursery where the inspiration for the general Primrose conservation work had been taken.
On March 13th these unique hardy perennial Irish Primroses were written up by Mr. Graham Rice, Editor in Chief of the RHS Encyclopaedia of Perennials on his RHS blog. So high praise indeed coming from such a well respected source and recognition for bringing Primula into its proper standing amongst perennials. Click here to go to RHS Blog piece

American TV and Newspapers feature Kennedy Irish Primroses.

New York
Last week Kennedy Irish Primroses have featured on Martha Stewart Living TV programme on the Hallmark Channel in USA. Plants were included in handout gifts on the show and presented by Lloyd Traven of Peacetree Farm ( in picture on left) as a gift for Martha’s Garden.

Oregon
In Oregon State, Kennedy Irish Primroses have been featured on Gardentime TV as plant pick of the week and plants were supplied by Skagit Gardens of Mount Vernon Washington .
Click here to see video

Washington State
Both Drumcliff and Innisfree were planted alongside our Carex Everest, which is now a top selling plant in USA, outside the famous Irish Landmark pub and streak house in Seattle, FX McRory’s. On Friday this week Pat FitzGerald presents the Kennedy Irish Primrose story to a group at a specially organised Primrose Party in Seattle and meets with Mick McHugh owner of FX McRory’s. Seattle Times columnist Ciscoe Morris has Featured Primula Drumcliff as one of his buys of the week for gardeners in Washington

California

On Tuesday the Primroses feature as a centre piece for a pre show party hosted by gardening author and garden designer Rebecca Sweet during the San Francisco Garden Show week. Kennedy Irish Primroses will be featured at the SFGS by Skagit Gardens of Mount Vernon Washington.

During the following week Kennedy Irish Primroses will be displayed by Pacific Plug and Liner and Skagit Gardens at the California Spring Trials one of the biggest events in the US professional ornamental horticulture industry.

Other Primrose Kennedy Primroses blog pieces

http://fitzgeraldnurseries.blogspot.com/2011/03/gifting-of-kennedy-irish-primrose.html
http://fitzgeraldnurseries.blogspot.com/2011/01/announcing-kennedy-irish-primrose.html
http://fitzgeraldnurseries.blogspot.com/2009/10/famine-garden-at-newmarket-co-kilkenny.html
http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/blogs/graham_rice/archive/2012/03/13/irish-primroses-new-from-cotswold-garden-flowers.aspx
http://onebeanrow.com/2012/03/16/move-over-shamrocks-here-come-the-irish-primroses/

End.

The gifting of a Kennedy Irish Primrose

It isnt often one of our plants gets such a wonderful first outing that they are given as a gift from our country to the first Lady of the United States of America. So I felt I must share this news with everyone.

I am honoured to announce that on 17th of March, St Patricks Day, a special basket of our new Kennedy Irish Primrose variety Drumcliff was chosen as a gift to Mrs Obama. The Primrose basket was given to Mrs Obama during the recent visit of An Taoiseach Mr Enda Kenny T.D and his wife Mrs Fionnuala Kenny to the White House, Washington D.C. This is the first time these Primroses have been seen in full flower in the USA and we at FitzGerald Nurseries are delighted that they were chosen for such an auspicious occasion. The Primroses were propagated in County Wexford, Ireland and grown to flowering size in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Plants were inspected and certified in accordance with United States Department of Agriculture import regulations and shipped to special facilities of Herronswood Nurseries in Pennsylvania USA where plants were acclimatized and prepared for the final presentation.

The Kennedy Irish Primroses were launched this January coinciding with the 50th Anniversary of the inauguration of John F Kennedy as President of United States of America. Primula Drumcliffe is named after the final resting place of the famous Irish poet W.B Yeats. The second variety released in 2011 is named Innisfree after the poem Lake Isle of Innisfree. Further varieties will be released over the coming years.

Pat FitzGerald.

Plants are now currently available to the public in Ireland from most good Garden Centres and in USA by mail orderhttp://www.heronswood.com/perennials_perennials-p-to-r_primula/ .

You can find more information on the Kennedy Irish Primroses by clicking here.

- FitzGerald Nurseries was founded in 1990. Ever since a child Pat has been involved in the growing of vegetable and garden plants. From the age of 17 Pat started studying Horticulture then proceeded after leaving college to work in the gardening industry. - Pat FitzGerald selects, breeds and cultivates new plant varieties and in his own right is responsible for many new garden plant varieties now available to gardeners worldwide. - Joseph Kennedy breeder of the Kennedy Irish Primroses has been breeding old Irish Primroses from old Irish cultivars dating back to the 1800’s. After retiring early from dentistry almost 30 years ago Joe took up his breeding passion full time but never released any of his work to the public until now. - About the same time as Pat was leaving his formal Horticulture studies Joe began his serious collecting of the old Irish Primrose varieties. Twenty five years later their paths crossed, they combined their mutual talents and the Kennedy Irish Primrose range was born. After five more years of selecting and propagation in Ireland the first two varieties of these plants are now available to the public. Much more to come so watch this space.

In USA you can check availability of Kennedy Irish Primroses at the following.

http://www.peacetreefarm.com/

http://www.skagitgardens.com/

http://www.ppandl.com/

For mail order

http://www.heronswood.com/