in article , Roger Van Loon at
wrote on 8/4/03 7:22 pm:

Sacha wrote:
snip

It would be a mistake for anyone in the SW of England to assume that would
guarantee Ipomoea's safety, IMO. We live in the SW about 3 miles from
Dartmoor and can't keep it outside. But David Poole who lives in Torquay,
about 10 miles away, can. I kept it for one winter in a garden 3 miles from
him, lost it in another. I have even lost it in a 'hard' winter in Jersey.
One size does NOT fit all - even in the SW!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

Well. With a plant that grows so fast and comes up so very easily from
cuttings, what's wrong with trying a few of them outside?
I agree that its safety may not be "guaranteed" - but if it does here
like it did in the past, that's OK with me. A sunny south wall, a dry
spot, and a thick mulch in autumn should give it a chance, even over
here (near Antwerp, we had -11°C last winter).
As Nick said, it may need some protection against winter wet.
And I'll take some cuttings in autumn, for sure.

By all means, if people want to take cuttings to ensure another year's
produce, well and good. But I don't think we'd got into those realms up
until now, or did I miss something? Tis is NOT the same as saying one can
safely grow such a plant outside just because it's in the SW.
Ipomoea will NOT be reliably hardy or even half-reliably hardy in all of the
SW of England. And it needs a lot of sun hours to produce its best display.
It isn't a question of 'may' need some protection against winter wet. It
most certainly WILL. This is a plant that grows best in sharply drained
conditions with a lot of daily sunshine. It seems clear to me that England
rarely offers those conditions and especially not over winter. That said,
if someone cares to make the experiment, taking cuttings as 'insurance',
well indeed, why not give it a try? But nobody should be encouraged to
believe that their original parent plant will survive a winter just because
it's in the SW of England. Location, location, location.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk