The auricula theatre update

 Making an auricula theatre was a lockdown project  in 2020 when everything was shut down. 

We used reclaimed / gifted wood to construct it & paint that we already had because everything was shut down so the size was determined by the wood we had. 

The backing board was troublesome because it allowed wind gusts behind it & it came crashing down several times, with lots of plant & terracotta pots shattered. It was removed & the theatre was a lot more stable then. 

However, after a long grey winter, the plants were ready for a tidy up in the sunshine today. New soil added, some crushed eggshells too & a dressing of sharp sand.  It looks much fresher already. 

Some plants are in flower, their neat labels long gone in the two theatre crashes but they are joyful with their tiny flowers against the brick wall. 

I will wait & see how the non flowering ones do before replacing some late summer. 

It was a good project & the theatre is an interesting feature on the patio we use the most. 

Who has grown them & what tips do you have? 

Thanks for stopping by , it is always appreciated. 

Dee 💐🪴🪻

Making an Auricula Theatre with recycled materials

Hi everyone,

This long lockdown has helped me to make progress with the many jobs needed at home. I love doing projects, painting, making or changing things.

I have long admired the showy elegance of Primula Auriculas  - I had some in the garden but they were rather neglected & certainly not shown off to their full beauty.  They are alpines so need careful attention if you want them to thrive.

Some weeks back, I noticed that several mentions of Auricula Theatres on the Chelsea Flower Show reports & then the vintage shop, https://www.instagram.com/la_vie_shrewsbury/ La Vie in Shrewsbury showed off a rather nice one he had made from an up cycled pallet during lockdown.

I managed to get some free wooden planks & wooden strips from a building project & I then formulated an idea in my head. I wanted it to be largely a recycled project so the dimensions were decided on the materials at hand ...

The 2 large planks were measured; 1 was divided in half to form the sides, the other divided in 3 to form the shelves & top; 2 of the blue wooden strips were used for the base with a gap to aid air circulation. The blue strips were also cut as shelf supports ...

We are not keen on fixing things to the house walls so decided it should rest on a firm base; however, having no additional wood meant that I popped to a local trader whose store is a bit of an Aladdin's Cave but sure enough, he had a heavy wooden stool which was perfect. Two thin beading strips completed my purchase to hold the pots in place when they are on their shelves.

That was the entirety of the purchases needed for the project because we had everything else.

Once it was all done, I found a part tin of shed paint in the garage - a pretty WILLOW colour in a soft, pretty green.

The whole theatre & the stool have been painted in the same colour to uniform it.

It is in place against the rear house wall where it is sheltered & we can enjoy the plants while we are on the patio.

The finished project in place against the rear wall of the house - on the patio & in a sheltered position, facing the garden. I love the colour & the mismatched, mostly vintage terracotta pots that ariculas are traditionally grown in because they have good drainage. 

A good project using materials that we already had which is surely a good thing. Have you done any projects lately? Tell all .... 

Thank you for stopping by,  I hope you are doing well in these interesting times,

Dee ~💕~