These can be removed after flowering (late summer is ideal) and potted in reserve. Small ‘pups’ or plantlets that emerge from the side of the central taproot can also be taken as a sign of rude health. Putting the finishing touches to the auricula theatre, photograph by Leighanne Gee Too heavy a hand at this time of the year could cause the plant to rot off whilst it’s not in active growth. From November to January auriculas require little attention besides the removal of dead leaves and just enough water to prevent them from wilting. First, they must be woken up after a winter of rest. Getting auriculas to flower (or at least flower well) is no easy business. “The qualities to look for in the bed of seedlings are not the narrowing ones of proportion of eye to tube, of exact circle in the circumference of the individual pip, and so on, but to notice whether the plant has a handsome look and stands up well, and is a delightful and beautiful thing as a whole.” Gertrude Jekyll, Wood and Garden, 1899 The cold frame has to be kept cool with shade netting during the hottest part of the day or the auriculas would simply wither in the heat. It is great for keeping the plants dry and allowing watering to be regulated carefully by the Garden Team, but on a hot day the temperature soars beneath the glass. The cold frame itself is made of aluminium and crucially, is glazed with sliding panels that can be pushed aside to vent, or even removed completely in the summer. Preparing the auricula theatre, photograph by Leighanne Gee Indoors or outdoors? Moist or dry? Sun or shade? Well, they like just a little bit of everything… Border auriculas are among the easiest to grow (tough, garden worthy varieties of Primula auricula that will happily grow in the front of a border with free draining soil) but those more often grown in pots can be a little more awkward. We have recently begun to establish our own small collection of auriculas and this spring we have put them on display for the first time. I know nothing better for pure beauty of varied colouring among early flowers.” Gertrude Jekyll, Wood and Garden, 1899 Nothing in the flower year is more interesting than a bed of good seedlings of the Alpine class. “Border Auriculas are making a brave show. Each month, we follow in Margaret’s footsteps to see how the garden compares now and then… Winterbourne is filled with Jekyllian detail inspired by her 1899 classic Wood and Garden. Here, the influence of Gertrude Jekyll is inescapable. Once the current display is over, swap in more seasonal plants as they reach their peak for an ever-changing and beautiful drama on your doorstep.Horticulture, Now and Then, Plants, Projects, Uncategorized Now and Then: April When Margaret Nettlefold planned the garden at Winterbourne, daughter Valerie revealed that her mother ‘lived with gardening books for a year or so’. Stick to similar types of pot to pull the whole thing together: select your favourite designs from the range of handsome terracotta, glazed or lead-effect containers in our garden centre here in Ripley. Place them against a wall or fence to give a tiered effect (you may need to fix the shelves to the wall for added stability).Ĭreate your display with a collection of a single plant, such as perennial violas, or a type of plant such as herbs. Make your ‘shelves‘ from wooden greenhouse staging, wooden planks or even a wooden stepladder. Raise your plant collection on shelves and you can better appreciate their charms at eye level, without having to stoop to see them properly. Plant theatres became popular in Victorian times, often to show off the spectacular markings of dainty auricula primulas, but you can create a plant theatre out of any special plant from alpine bulbs and herbs to pelargoniums, violas and bonsai trees. Create a plant ‘theatre’ to show off your collections of choice seasonal treasures at their best.
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