Tender climbers

Too true! Even when they thrive, getting some of the tender tropicals to flower is not easy. I've tried Beaumontia, Bauhinia, Merremia, Hardenbergia, Mandevilla and just about every other climbing or scented exotic in Chiltern's list but they just would not flower!
Have you thought about Bougainvillea, Peter? They stand the summer heat in a conservatory very well.

 

I went into Morrisons today and they have Passiflora for two quid. I left with a common P.caerulea and a "Purple Haze".

 

LongK - At the moment I have a large empty area waiting to be filled - so rampance is no problem for this year - but I take your point, plants tend to get larger with time.

I would love to go down to Roseland house. Its quite a long way further down than Hill House - but I must make the effort at some point. Charlie does seem to specialise in tender climbers, and I could learn a lot from him.

You have really got me going on Thunbergia mysorensis. I have been reading a bit more, and see that it rarely sets seed so has to be propagated by layering. The RHS plant finder does quote one plant source in the UK, on the Isle of Wight, so I have sent them an e-mail. However the plant finder is often out of date.

I will have to look in Morrisons. However the blue one, presumably caerulea is growing outside next door so its red/pink or nothing.

Yes Noisette - I do have some Bougainvillea, which I hope will do well. There are just so many other plants that could have been included. I was really looking for new things - but I found the exercise great fun and really informative.

The problem now is going to be space.

 

I knew that I'd seen it somewhere....................

http://oldwalledgarden.com/climbers/thunbergia/thunbergia-mysoriensis/

380 odd miles as opposed to 315'ish. Not too much further.

Although Strongylodon macrobotrys may be a push, I do wonder whether you could maybe try growing Clianthus puniceus cordon style. Not a true climber I know, but the white form is rather special.

 

LongK - that's brilliant thank you. That's not the place that the RHS plant finder gave - but The Old Walled Garden does appear to be currently selling it. I will wait for a reply from Ventnor Botanic Gardens on the Isle of Wight, and if no joy from them I will try your place.

I have just sowed your Clianthus seeds (thank you). I am going to pass on the Strongylodon at the moment - though it is superb. My lightbox and all my heated propagators are currently full - with a waiting list for a second sitting.

 

The Old Walled Garden used to sell Strongylodon too.

I have seed for the red form of C.puniceus if you want some. Fresh last September.

 

LongK - thats very kind - but frankly I have too many plants and seeds at the moment - so no thank you. I just received some more from Jungle Seeds a few minutes ago including Petrea volubilis, which looks really nice, and Hardenbergia the first picture in this thread.

However you have done me a big favour with the name of the Old Walled Garden. Its not too far off the M5 so its possible to call in when I pass that way. Also it has some unusual stuff that I have been looking for, including:-


Clerodendrum speciosum - photo Top Tropicals
There are some lovely Clerodendrum species - they deserve a thread of their own


Hibiscus schitzopetalus - photo Jungle Plants - but they don't stock it.

This, to me, is the most spectacular of the Hibiscus. And I was lucky enough to see it in flower at the Eden Project two and a half weeks ago. I have never seen seed offered and, I think, this is the first time I have seen the plant on sale in the UK.


Thunbergia batterscombei - photo Top Tropicals

This appears to be like Thunbergia grandiflora but a much deeper colour

 

..thank you for showing these wonderful photos.... I don't know which one I prefer, perhaps the Hardenbergia... I've seen Clianthus, the red one, growing outside on a wall in west Cornwall, but you'd expect it to do well there... I've never grown anything like these....

 

Hello and a warm welcome to the forum Mrs H.

For me, the great joy of this forum is that we all get exposed to plants that we don't know - and often get good advice from people who have grown them. Personally, I have been encouraged by others to do a bit of research for myself, which is so easy on the internet, and that then makes me want to grow something new. That's interesting that Clianthus grows outside in Cornwall. I am in North Yorkshire and tender means indoors.

 

....thank you for the welcome...... I should add I'm finding this forum difficult to use with Internet Explorer in Windows 8.1 so I'm reverting to Mozilla and use that instead..
...yes I agree that learning from the internet is easy now and provokes an interest in the kind of plants we may not have thought about before.... I grow a tender shrub that so far I do not know of anyone else growing... they must be of course, maybe in a Conservatory but I have it outdoors.... I shall try post a photo and some details on the appropriate forum, as it's not a climber... it's a kind of Myrtle...
bi for now...

 

No probs - I saved that one a long time ago and had difficulty finding it.

C.incisum (Musical Notes).......................

My favourite Hibiscus too!

Thunbergia vogeliana...................

As I was once told by my Gramp (about life in general), If you never fail you'll never succeed!

I agree.

 

LongK - I have never heard of Clerodendrum incisum - thats lovely. I feel a Clerodendrum moment coming on. I think they are nearly all from tropical Africa.


Above is the lovely Clerodendrum ugandense, that I know you have. Mine died the winter before last - but Hill House do them.


The lovely C. thomsoniae. I was very pleased to pick up one of these for 45 p a month ago.

.
C. splendens - brilliant colour


C. quadriloculare


C. trichotomum


C. paniculatum

 

I always have spare cuttings going begging if you want one.

Stunning!!!

 

I am growing Hardenbergia, it is fine with cold but doesnt like too wet. If you have well draining spot then it will do well. Mine is about to flower so will upload the pics then


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Not that we've had a winter this year (thankfully!).

Wow!! That is a surprise. Sounds like it could make a good specimen under cover.