Let Auriculars Steal the Show

At this time of year, you’re so damn grateful to have got through January that you’ll take any signs of life as a bonus, but let’s face it, there’s not an awful lot of colour out there. Most of us have heard of the June Gap but I find the February hiatus far harder to bear. Right now, my eager anticipation is turning to impatience. Only the earliest of spring bulbs are out, so unless you are endowed with acres of woodland, the odd snowdrop doesn’t really do it for me!

The best laid plans of mice and men an’all that, the cheery violas and pansies that I planted in profusion on the Catio last November to bridge said gap, have sulked all through the winter, refusing to flower. Any idea that I had of sitting outside with a coffee amongst a profusion of colour were sadly dashed.

So, what to do? As my eyes cast around for inspiration they fell upon our auricular theatre, languishing empty at the back of the garden. Having seen an amazing display of auriculas at East Ruston Old Vicarage, a plan was formulated. Always game for a new project, David set about whitewashing the south facing wall of the Catio, before mounting the newly refurbished theatre, now sage green with cream interior, ready to show off its treasures.

I say auricular theatre, but its first occupants were actually primulas. Sunshine Garden Centre was full of them. Such pretty names like Starflame Antique Shades and Chinese New Year; who could resist such colour?  Whilst I have primula vulgaris and cowslips in the area under my apple tree - somewhat pretentiously referred to as the woodland border - I’ve never been a fan of polyanthus; I find them too blocky for my naturalistic spring borders. But I do think they deserve a place somewhere in the garden just for their intense colour at this dreary time of year.

Of course, now that an opportunity to acquire a new type of plant had presented itself, there was no stopping me from experimenting with auriculas too. A few precious jewels that I purchased from a specialist nursery at a rare plant fair last summer could at last be shown off to their full advantage. And what better way to display them than in the traditional 9cm terracotta pots, found abandoned in our garden when we moved in 28 years ago.

Love, Caroline x