It doesn’t take much these days, with time on my hands, to come up with a brilliant new plan.

At one of our indoor meetings, last autumn, a member brought to our ‘table of interest’, a dazzling selection of very fine auriculas. It reminded me just how much I liked them, so varied, colourful, cheerful and different!

Here we go again, the need to collect, so predictable.

Source and order a Victorian auricula theatre buy some clay pots then start collecting.

I knew auriculas were popular, but was amazed when I found some on EBay, put a bid in and was constantly outbid, by people who were prepared to pay handsomely for really special ones (which of course were the ones that I was after).

After winning a few plants, I found a specialist grower who had the most wonderful list to choose from. Second heaven, here we go again!

Research them on the internet, find the ones that you can’t live without, (although I have done for years) then go for it…….didn’t quite work out that way, as I got sidetracked by the names.

Which Harry Potter fan could resist one called ‘Sirius’. Then you have interesting names such as Merlin, Star Wars, Mersey Tiger, Dilly Dilly and on it goes.

It will be interesting to see how they overwinter in my greenhouse, and which ones I acquire next….so far so good!

Maggie Duguid

Text and photos by Maggie Duguid, who is a member of the HPS North East Group.