Hill House - South Devon

Hi chaps - I am sorry I have been absent for some time but I have been very busy writing a computer program, which I should have finished a long time ago. Consequently I abandoned everything in a big push to finish it.

It's now all but finished and so I took 10 days off in South Devon and had to call in at Hill House Nursery, which is a delight. In their main greenhouse they had :-


Duranta erecta


Tibouchina


Cassia


Ipomea learii. As you can see the greenhouse is huge, and this is only in the middle of it. It gets a wonderful amount of light, consequently they can grow some huge plants.


Iochroma cyanea


Thunbergia alata (Black Eyed Susan). I gather the normal alata is an annual, but that there are some similar looking hybrids that are perennial.


Pandorea jasminoides - looked a lot more impressive that the picture implies.


Brugmansia

 

Tecomaria carpensis (Cape Honeysuckle). @Victoria kindly gave me some seeds for this several years ago and I have a fine plant standing about 5 feet high.But it hasn't flowered for me yet.


Bananas, mostly Musa basjoo and Ensete ventricosum. When I visited last time they had a Musa basjoo in flower.


Erythrina crista-galli. Again I have grown this one from seed but it hasn't flowered for me yet. However Hill House sell small plants that are in flower. I think the difference is that cuttings of a mature plant flower easily, but seed grown plants can take some time to reach maturity. Its either that or I am rubbish at growing them.


Thunbergia gregii - what a wonderful sight.


Leonotus leonorus flowers terribly late if left outside.


A slightly naughty looking Aristolochia.


And from the front.

 

What beautiful photos, thank you for taking the trouble to post them.

 

Hi @PeterS I have wondered where you have been of late. Pleased you have had a nice break away visiting Hill House.

I have / have had all of the above beauties except the last Aristolochia. I don't like it ... not because of it;s looks, but I don;t like the mottled colour! Also I tried Erythrina from seed but was not successful, it germinated but died.

My Tecomaria capensis has been stunning. I have two large ones now, one a rogue self rooting offshoot of my first. They just glow in the sun.

Hope all is well with you. xx

 

Hi Victoria. I am fine thanks. I keep thinking of you everytime I see my Tecomaria and also my Pandorea, that you gave me seeds for. Its been flowering for several years. Last few pictures :-


Citrus medica sarcodactylis digitata {Budda's Hand). This is an extraordinary Citrus plant that I first saw at the Eden project and have never seen since - until Hill House.


Budda's Hand again.


Tecomaria carpensis in yellow. I never knew a yellow version existed.


Solanum rantonetti


Clerodendrom ugandense


Salvia - probably "Amistad"

 

Hi @PeterS

I have never heard of the Citrus medica so looked it up. Very interesting ... and very expensive!

I have not encountered a yellow Tecomaria, very pretty.

I have had my Solanum rantonetti for many, many years but sadly lost Clerodendrom ugandense but have a friend who has one so may get a cutting.

 

They have a good variety of plants there @PeterS, what did you come home with?
My Clerodendrum Ugandese is still flowering even after a summer pruning.
I have grown Erythrina crista-galli from seed a long time ago and one plant out of the three flowered after 18 months which I definitely was not expecting.

 

My Erythrina Christa Galli has not flowered for two years now.
Needs potting on, but the pot is pretty big already, I might bite the bullet and dig out my bougainvillea and protea and plant it there, in their place.
Bougie is almost out of control and the protea doesn't really pay its way regarding the space it takes up.

 

I'm long overdue another visit. It will seem strange with Ray not being there any more though. There's always something new to look at/drool over each time you visit.

I've grown E.crista galli too. The bought plant never bloomed and it didn't take too well to the winter of 2010/11 and the seed grown replacement has yet to bloom.

 

Too well established to move unfortunately John.

 

Hi Victoria, I do like unusual things and this has to come close to the top of the list.

Strongy - they have some lovely stuff down there, but I have completely run out of space. Also, having visited their place regularly, I think I have almost exhausted their list of tropical offerings, so I couldn't buy anything. They sell a number of items where they are the only seller in the UK. One item you might like is .....Strongylodon. Up till 2 years ago nobody in the UK sold this, and now they are the only one. I was chatting to one of the staff, who said that they only sell about one a year, so its no wonder nobody else sells it.

Pete - I finally gave my Erythrina crista-galli away. It's woody and so doesn't like my humidity, and it bites.

LongK - yes its very sad that Ray has gone. He was such a lovely chap, and while the rest of the team rushed about he was always happy to have a chat.

 

One of my favourite nurseries. I especially love the Iochromas.

 

Do you grow any?

Oh yeah...........

 

I especially like their cream teas