On 27/03/2014 17:26, sacha wrote:
On 2014-03-27 13:53:34 +0000, Spider said:

On 26/03/2014 22:47, Sacha wrote:
On 2014-03-26 16:45:24 +0000, Spider said:

On 26/03/2014 16:31, Sacha wrote:
On 2014-03-26 16:18:30 +0000, Spider said:

On 25/03/2014 22:19, Sacha wrote:
On 2014-03-25 18:21:08 +0000, Spider said:

On 25/03/2014 11:19, Sacha wrote:
I've just popped out to the Nursery and this climber is growing on
pillars along the path. The scent is astonishing! It always
amazes
and
delights me that such wonderful smells come from such little
flowers!



I have often admired this climber, but have read conflicting advice
that it is "tender, requiring shelter" and "hardy, H7. Surely,
they
can't both be right? Has yours ever seen a really hard winter,
Sacha?

Indeed, has anyone on urg grown it in harsh conditions?

It's been on the chains and pillars outside the Tea Room through a
couple of tough winters here, Spider, including the toughest in -
was it
2010 - when we had ice and snow for days on end, most unusual here.
It's
probably a bit sheltered by that position but during that harsh
winter
it was surrounded by snow and ice. It's very vigorous, too.



Thanks, Sacha. Sounds lovely :~). I may have a panel of trellis that
would suit it very well. It will get good light and lots of
afternoon
sun there.

Just been past it again and the scent has even permeated the first
couple of feet into the big greenhouse!




Now you're making me jealous! Gardeners are supposed to have green
fingers, not green eyes! I shall have to see if my local gc has one.

The scent of the alba is quite different, and very strong, ime.



I hope, then, that I can find a gc with both colour forms, so probably
not my local one. Must remember to take my nose with me, which
doesn't always work :~(. I'd like to sample the scent before I buy,
if poss.
Am I to assume, because of the common name Chocolate Vine, that the
scent is chocolatey?

Ours may still be flowering when you come because it does go on for a
long time and Ray would probably find you a 'baby', if he has any
spares. I find the chocolate coloured one quite chocolatey but not
madly so, not as much as the chocolate Cosmos, for example.



Oooh, I hope yours will be flowering. It would be lovely to sample the
scent you have enthused over. If Ray happens to stumble across a 'baby'
sprig of vine, I would be very happy to give it a home, so thank you for
the thought. If said sprig doesn't materialise, then that's okay too.
I'm sure we'll be staggering home under the weight of some plants from
your tempting emporium. Looking forward to it.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay