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Whilst very few Auriculas are difficult to grow, Alpines are the easiest. They have very beautiful flowers with many combinations of bi-colours. The darkest colour is always closest to the centre of the petal, fading to the palest tones at the petal’s edge. They are divided into two groups, the Gold Centres, having a yellow flower centre, and the Light Centres, having a cream centre.
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The first cultivated auriculas were garden plants and it is from these early Border auriculas that all todays cultivars are descended. ‘Borders’ do not have to conform to a florist’s standard and are not grown for the perfection of the bloom but as clumps of flamboyant, muti-headed, sweet smelling plants suitable for the garden. Unfortunately over the years a number of cultivars that do not ‘make the grade’ as a florist’s flower have been placed in the Border category. Whilst we may keep such plants for the completeness of our National Collection® we do not promote these cultivars prefering to offer only those that we know from experience to be able to thrive outside.
With their common ancestry, the dividing line between Border P. auricula and P. x pubescens is often debated and where we offer a plant of the pubescens type with its smaller flowers on a smaller plant (more suitable for an Alpine trough) we annotate them as ‘(PT)’ in their description.
To see a larger picture of a plant, please click on the thumbnail photo. A description and option to order the plant will also be available.
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Either you like them or you don’t! The amount of doubling varies in different varieties - from a few extra rows of petals, neatly laid (the classical Double), to a riotous mass giving a pom-pom look (the standard Double). The one constant criteria of a Double Auricula is that it always has extra petals in the centre of the flower covering the central tube. We find many of the Doubles, particularly the more purple shades, are highly scented.
To see a larger picture of a plant, please click on the thumbnail photo. A description and option to order the plant will also be available.
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All Show Auriculas ~ Edges, Selfs, Fancies and Stripes ~ have an inner circle of dense white paste on the flower pips. They are just as fully frost hardy as the other types of Auriculas but are usually grown in a cold greenhouse or frame to stop the weather spoiling the paste and, in the case of Selfs, Grey Edges and Fancies and some Stripes, the meal on the leaves.
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We are pleased to offer a similar range of Collections as previously which seem to cater for most requirement.
Please note that the varieties we include in a collection are of our choosing and will vary month to month as to the best plants available when ordered. However, when multiple Collections are ordered, we will try to avoid duplication within the order.
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We still have available some stocks of our unique Greeting Cards by the renowned botanical artist, Elizabeth Dowle. We have had one customer who liked them so much they could not bear to part with them and had them framed as minatures!
Packed in two sets of four different cards with envelopes they are 6" by 4" in size and blank inside so being suitable for many occasions.
Set A: ’Greenshank’, ’Chorister’, ’Rowena’ & ’C G Haysom’. Set B: ’Butterwick’, ’Serentity’, ’Walton Heath’ & ’Cortina’.
We can also issue Gift Vouchers which are always a popular present for an Auricula Collector - they always want to add to their collection!
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