Managing an Auricula Addiction!

Auricula Bradmore Bluebell

The Auriculas this year have gone all out, dazzling us with their vibrant colours, their fabulous stripes and their delicate farina.  I truly think they are looking the best I have ever seen them.  Varieties we have that only seem to flower once every ten years have burst into bloom, ones I had given up hope of ever flowering, have exploded into show stopping rubies and yellows and silvers.

I wonder at the cause of this magnificent show, was it our cold winter? are they enjoying the warm spring? did they like the fact we kept them outdoors all last summer?  Or was it our tiny wee earthquake last month that scared them all into flowering.
Whatever the cause, I am delighted to see them and have proudly assembled an Auricula theatre of our best looking stock plants at the nursery.  I cant believe that anyone could view them and not desire one of their own.  I can really see why they become so precious and are cherished in many old gardens.

Some of my personal favourites this year:
Janie Hill  - Gold centred, red shading brown. Just show stopping this year.

Auricula Janie Hill

Sirius - Maroon and pale yellow with a gold centre. So unique.  This year there have been some unusual brown colour breaks in the Sirius, so we shall propagate and fingers crossed may have some beautiful new colours to sell next year.

Auricula Sirius

CJ Hayson - Green with a good white edge. Lovely mealed leaves. An old variety, often painted for its classic looks.



Auricula C J Hayson

Blush Baby - Pink and tan stripes

Old Pink Dusty Miller - Lovely, fragrant washed pink blooms

So do grow some and see for yourself, they are very easy to grow just don’t starve them, put plenty grit in their compost and don’t keep them too hot or too wet.

We grow most of them in pots as they are easier to display and admire that way.

Keep them dry in winter and not too hot in summer. But, they are all hardy and some have done well in the open ground here with us in the Highlands for many years.

Apart from the Auriculas, this warm spring has also encouraged the not-so-delightful ground elder and a profusion of dandelions.  I always remember the old adage, "One year seeding, is seven years weeding" and from a glance around the garden, feel that we must have let a patch of dandelions seed their merry way all over woodland.  Early each morning I do my best to whisk them all out, but maybe I should try to promote dandelions as a fashionable border plant and stop fighting.

My walks now include a stick with which to beat the bracket into submission - I stride around thwacking the fresh curled shoots as they spring through the ground.  It may be an impossible mission, but I feel I have to try.

(A full list of all the Auricula we are selling this year - http://www.lochnessgarden.com/catalogue/htmcatalogue/Auricula.htm - be quick to get the rarer varieties )

I have also just started up a flickr group for everyone with an interest in Auriculas to add their photographs, would be great to see what everyone has growing

http://www.flickr.com/groups/auriculas/