![]() ![]() ![]() They are the earliest flowering group of Primulas, often in flower from January to March. Primula marginata, Primula allionii and their many hybrids are essential treasures in the rock garden, trough or alpine house for that very early burst of colour that foretells the coming of spring. The show auriculas are often grown in pots and need a little more attention if you are to succeed in producing top quality flowers.įor tips on growing Auriculas see the sections on Auriculas and Show Auriculas. All have a distinct circle of white paste or farina at the centre of the flower. Show auriculas are split into 5 distinct types : self, fancy, green edged, grey edged and white edged. Grow them in pots or in the ground, but make sure they have good drainage in winter and protection from slugs. These are intended for the garden and are fully hardy. Garden Auriculas include alpine, border, doubles and striped. They are broadly split into two categories : Garden and Show. To find out a bit more about the fascinating history of the Auricula take a look at our Auricula History pages. Their jewel-like colours were much loved by the 18th and 19th century florists and are now being rediscovered by young and old alike. They have smooth fleshy leaves often covered with powder, to protect them from the intense solar radiation of the high mountains. AuriculasĪuriculas are the alpine cousins of our wild primroses. They will do well in the garden as long as you ensure that their natural conditions are replicated as much as possible. Most of them originate from the mountainous regions of Europe and are very hardy plants. Woottens of Wenhaston, Blackheath, Wenhaston, Halesworth, Suffolk, 19 April, 9.30am-5pm.Alpine primula come in many different shapes and forms. Pop's Plants, Pop's Cottage, Barford Lane, Downton, Salisbury, Wiltshire, 10 and 11 May, 10.30am-4.30pm. Auricula open daysĭrointon Nurseries, Plaster Pitts Cottages, Ripon, North Yorkshire, 3 and 28 May, 10am-4pm. Divide border plants every couple of years. Never splash leaves or flowers and water sparingly, especially in winter.īe vigilant for vine weevil Treat with Provado systemic insecticide, or the biological control Nemasys. Keep plants well ventilated, especially in summer, when they also need shading. Use a free-draining compost Roberts recommends equal measures of multipurpose compost, John Innes No2 and horticultural grit.įeed as plants come into growth and stop when they finish flowering, using soluble feed when you water. Small plants need small pots 3.5in as a rule, 3in for alpines. Both flower freely without cosseting, and display a reassuring zest for life. Sweet-smelling 'Trafalgar Square' offers a clear red with a dainty white edge 'Hinton Fields' is yellow and green. The Stripes, all but lost in the mid-18th century, have returned to favour, with a host of new varieties such as 'Robin Hood', 'Blush Baby' and 'Optimist'. Deep blue 'Joel' and pillar-box red 'Scorcher' are among the more obliging. Next come the Show Selfs, blocks of vivid colour round a centre of white paste. Most prized by collectors of show auriculas is the category of green, grey or white Edges – divas that require unstinting devotion. In the pale centres, purples, pinks and blues predominate, as in 'Adrian' or luscious pink 'G L Taylor'. The gold centres tend towards warm autumn shades, such as 'Nickity' and 'Yacoubi'. They have centres of gold, cream or pale yellow, and velvety petals that fade out towards the edge. Single blooms flower best in a small pot. 'Dales Red' is a velvety red with a white eye and 'Old Irish Green' provides the green edge deemed the apogee of loveliness.Īlpine auriculas have no vulnerable farina, make handsome clumps and are ideal for beginners. 'Eden Greenfinch' is an excellent modern plant, in an unusual greeny-brown shade. 'Old Yellow Dusty Miller' has been charming gardeners for centuries. (In heavier soils, work in grit to improve drainage and plant with a collar of gravel underneath the rosette.) Foliage can be green, or dusted with farina – hence the old country name, dusty millers. Photograph: Alamyīorder or garden auriculas often grow along paths in old cottage gardens, thriving in soil with some substance but good drainage. In pale-centred auriculas, such as Primula 'Adrian', purples, pinks and blues predominate.
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