In my mind I always see women strolling past the auricle theaters with parasols. You admire the unusual color combinations, the wonderful painting and the flawless flower shapes. In breeding, it was always about the special, color gradients that can be admired from close up and above all the balanced harmony of the individual flowers, but also of the inflorescence - unfortunately at the expense of their robustness and vigor.

The name says it all - the group's plants are used for the show and are kept in pots. Even show auricula cannot be affected by the cold, but too much moisture is their death.

While in the 19th century Germany and the Netherlands bred the mostly green-leaved alpine mountains, the English fell in love with all the gray-powdered varieties, the shows. The varieties created through decades of breeding work are almost perfect, but also demanding. They punish neglect with premature death.

Planting in a mixture of compost and loam loosened up by sand and mineral structural substances (expanded clay, pumice) is perfect. A large drainage hole is of course a requirement.

Only too much winter wetness and too hot summers can damage auricles. Therefore, keep the plants relatively moist from March to November, in winter it does not damage completely drying out. The pots stay outside all year round. In summer it is essential to choose a place in the sun (away from the sun) and in winter a place protected from rain (glass house, house wall, under evergreen wood)