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AURICULA

A year or so back I acquired some very sorry looking Auriculas from my step-dad, in need of tender loving care. I decided what was best for them was to pot up in small plastic pots and to allow them whatever time necessary to rejuvinate.

Having always planted Auriculas into terracotta pots, I decided that once healthy I would plant these ones straight out into the garden. So that's what I did and they have been a great success.



Often there is a covering of white powder on the leaves of an Auricula, and in Auricula circles this is called 'meal'. The flower can have a circle of 'meal' on their faces too.



Have you any terracotta pot casualties after last winter's heavy rainfall and frosts? How about placing a broken pot at the foot of a plant giving the illusion of the flower sprawling out?

I have more than enough crocks and by using much loved, if not broken, old terracotta pots in this way, I can continue getting use out of them for a good few years to come, hopefully!

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FROST DAMAGE

There has been a noticeable amount of frost damage this winter. Not only has this favourite pot of mine pictured above, with its piecrust rim, succumbed to the changeable weather conditions, but also many other terracotta pots around the garden.

Not being one for covering up with fleece or bubble wrap, mesembryanthemum and lavender plants, usually fairly hardy in this part of the UK, have not made it through the winter. In hindsight, I should have placed out of harm's way along a sheltered wall. A plant cannot possibly survive with constant freezing and thawing, and having to sit in cold, wet compost!

Tell me which plants have you lost this winter, in your part of the world?

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TERRACOTTA POTS

In my garden, this time of year brings with it gaps. To fill in some of these, I place Echeveria in old terracotta pots amongst the plants. Not fully hardy in our UK climate, these must be brought back inside before the first frosts.



Last Winter I lost many old pots to frost, and having accumulated two large buckets full of crocks old and new, I need no more. This being the case I decided to place the breakages between plants and I am quite liking the effect. This may not be suitable if you have cats, dogs or rabbits around, or children come to that!



This was a favourite blue glazed pot of mine which I broke when having one of my clumsy moments. Not wanting to smash to smithereens, I placed it in a shady corner amongst some ferns, and look how the ivy has discovered it. I rather like the effect the ivy is having on the pot!