They may be small, but auriculas can play a leading role in shady gardens
Tamsin started her career working with her great uncle John Treasure at Burford House Gardens in Worcestershire. She later became a parks gardener in Dorset and, after working as a magazine editor and horticultural lecturer for many years, she now looks after Stockton Bury Gardens (stocktonbury.co.uk) in Herefordshire. Within the four-acre garden there is a wonderful collection of perennials.
One plant I always associate with the Chelsea Flower Show is the auricula – small but with showstopping flowers. At Stockton Bury Gardens we have built an auricula theatre on a north-facing wall and it brings immeasurable joy. They can be tricky but when you get it right there’s nothing to touch them.
Afew years ago we treated ourselves to a lovely mixed crop from specialists W&S Lockyer in East Sussex. We chose purely on looks and it was like a box of diamonds.
The colour range is like a rainbow and you can choose between singles and doubles. One of my favourites is the bright yellow ‘Reddown Apricot’ as yellow really pops in shade. For a bright double, go for ‘Satsuma’.
They’re great in tight spaces, especially on an auricula theatre. This can simply be a secondhand small bookshelf attached to a shady wall; paint the inside black for the best possible backdrop. When not in flower, use the shelf to show off small pots of spring bulbs or
