Lincoln Chestnut is a 'double' Primula auricula.

'Doubles' have many rows of petals. Their petals can have any patterning but should be smooth and unnotched and colours should be bright. The intricate blooms of the 'double' forms are best when protected from wind and heavy rain.

About ‘double auriculas’: double auriculas were revered in the 17th Century and changed hands for huge sums of money. They are now making a comeback and deservedly so. They all have double blooms with vibrant colouring and shading, excellent form and delightful fragrance, produced from mid-March to April. Available as flowering-sized plants raised from cuttings, they are suitable for a sheltered garden or cold greenhouse cultivation.

In the greenhouse: the greenhouse should be unheated and very well ventilated at all times. It should also be kept shaded from late March until September. Traditionally auriculas are grown in ‘long toms’( a long narrow terracotta pot), where they can be attractively displayed in a traditional hand-made wooden auricula 'theatre', but normal clay pots or plastic pots are also suitable. We use John Innes Potting Compost No.2 with added perlite and leaf mould. Water carefully in autumn and winter, more freely in spring. Regular attention must be given to removing withered leaves and re-potting when necessary.

In the garden: provide ‘double’ auricula plants with moist soil, rich in humus. Choose a well-drained, sheltered site where there is a little dappled shade, or plant them in a low patio pot or alpine trough which can be moved to a shady spot in the summer months. If grown individually in small pots they can be attractively displayed in a traditional hand-made wooden auricula 'theatre'.

Available for delivery in the following locations:

United Kingdom (England, Wales, Mainland Scotland, Scottish Islands, Scottish Highlands, Isle of Wight, Northern Ireland, Isles of Scilly)