Primroses (actual name Primula) are perennial plants that can be placed outside early in the spring to provide those first splashes of color in the garden. As long as primroses are protected and in some shade they can be put outside within the next few weeks. Various containers work well with these hardy plants. Making them mobile allows the gardener to move the containers closer to the house or in a protected place if it gets colder. These inexpensive plants are available now in the garden centers andwill flourish with lots of water and rich soil. I buy a bunch of plants for containers each spring, careful to chose a variety of colors and textures. When the weather warms I find a place to transplant them. The following spring I will have primroses returning in flower beds. Good companion plants are pansies, tulips, and daffodils. As JEJ and I take our first visit to the garden center each spring I always remind him," You can never have too many primroses!" He walks off to find another shopping cart as I study the colors and textures of the plants.