Passiflora caerulea
blue passion flower
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: fast-growing
- Flowering period: July to September
- Hardiness: frost hardy (will need winter protection in cold areas)
A really exotic-looking plant, with large white flowers and central filaments of purple, blue and white from July to September, followed by egg-shaped, orange-yellow fruit. The leaves are pretty, too; deeply lobed, dark green and glossy. This blue passion flower is a vigorous, trouble-free climber that thrives in hot summers and will quickly cover a sunny wall or fence. Ideal for a tropical planting scheme, it grows best at the base of a sheltered wall in full sun, although it will tolerate some shade. The fruit are edible, but not very tasty!
Passion flowers are believed to represent the suffering of Christ on the cross and the mysteries of the Passion. The 17th century monastic scholar, Jacomo Bosio, describes 'the column rising in the centre of the flower surrounded by the thorn of crowns (and) the three nails at the top of the column. In between, near the base of the column is a yellow colour about the size of a reale, in which there are five spots or stains (stamens) of the hue of blood evidently setting forth five wounds received by our Lord on the cross.' - Garden care: Choose three to five of the strongest shoots, tying them in to horizontal wires. Once the plant is established, cut back the flowered shoots immediately after flowering to within two or three buds of the permanent framework of the plant. In spring remove dead, misplaced or overcrowded stems.
- Harmful if eaten
Clematis × aromatica
clematis (group 3)
Rich purple star-shaped blooms
Clematis 'Abundance'
clematis (group 3)
Pretty, small wine-red flowers
Rosa 'New Dawn'
rose New Dawn (climbing)
Reliable pearl-pink rose
September pruning of trees, shrubs and climbers
As summer turns to autumn, thoughts turn to tidying the garden after the exuberance of summer and it is now an ideal time to prune many late-summer-flowering shrubs to keep them vigorous and flowering well. It’s also not too late...
Read full articleHoney fungus
Symptoms There are different symptoms which point to honey fungus, some or all of them may be present at one time. Also, death can take years or be virtually instantaneous with plants being suddenly stopped in their tracks, half-opened leaves just...
Read full articleApril pruning of trees, shrubs and
climbers
Many shrubs, trees and climbers are showing signs of growth and so it is an ideal time to check them over for winter damage. If you feel they need a little care and attention, here are a few notes to...
Read full article
This pastel-flowered passion flower, a subtle mixture of warm-blue petals shaded in maroon and green, will straddle a low south-facing roof or porch and produce edible orange fruit
Val Bourne - Garden Writer