'Averil Hunter', you Little Beauty ...

I have just discovered Auriculas, with their strange, compulsive magnetism . Probably not the best thing for a compulsive ex-stamp collector to discover ! I have a feeling this is only going to get worse...

I got 9 little plants from a Spring Fair in gateshead a few weeks ago, from the 'National Auricula and Primula Society- Northern Section'. I was told that they would not flower until next year, but lo and behold, I found buds on 'Averil Hunter' a few days ago.

My recent post  'Theatre , darling, but not as we know it ...' details the early days of my acquisitions, whilst  'Waiting in the wings...'  gives an update, should you feel the urge to find out more.

Anyway ... the upshot is that Averil Hunter is now flowering and what a lovely little maid she is ...

This is how she looked when she moved in.

This is what I saw a few days ago...

So, what is the attraction of this stiff, upright little plant ?  I usually like Gertrude Jekyll - like profusion in a plant, ones that flop over the path, or go quietly crazy at the back of a border. I love rambling roses and sweet peas and delphiniums and peonies - and the Auricula seems to be the exact opposite of all of these. Brisk, neat and precise, it looks almost artificial in its perfection. Luckily there is room for all-comers in the garden and the greenhouse, so I don't have to choose between them !