DREGEA SINENSIS

This easy summer flowering climber seems to have a mistaken reputation for tenderness. It is at its best on a sunny wall and can be cut hard back during the winter. It begins to flower in late June or early July, producing panicles of white flowers with a hint of pink.
The flowers have a curious and evocative scent. Each time I sniff I am strongly reminded of the smell of a child’s swimming bag, opened after spending a couple of days under the bed, – of damp towels and soggy rubber.

SOPHORA DAVIDII

This charming small shrub has fuzzy grey foliage and is smothered in blue pea flowers in early summer. It seems perfectly hardy and just needs to be in full sun.

CLIANTHUS PUNICEUS

The exotic lobster claw plant is flowering well after our mild winter - it must have reached 6' on a sheltered south facing wall.

ILLICIUM SIMONSII BWJ 8024

This, seemingly hardy, evergreen shrub is flowering now at the beginning of March.
The beautiful waxy yellow flowers have a strong fragrance reminiscent of Magnolias.
My plant was grown from seed collected by the legendary Bleddyn and Sue Wynn-Jones of Crug Farm Plants

CLEMATIS NAPAULENSIS

Clematis napaulensis is a delightful climber and has flowered here happily at the end of January for the last 12 years. It aesivates in June (sheds it's leaves and goes dormant).It comes into leaf again in the autumn and the fresh new foliage shows off the lovely cream flowers and purple stems.

SARCOCOCCA WALLICHII BSWJ 2291

Few plants seem as though they mean to flower in November - you may find a few washed out roses, an unfrosted Salvia or a freak clematis but these seem as out-of-season as strawberries in Tesco at Christmas.
This wonderful shrub ,collected by the incredible Bleddyn Wynn-Jones in Northern India, looks pristine (even now) and even flowers against a shady, north facing wall. The white flowers smell delicious.

DESMODIUMS

These superb wall shrubs have flowered well this year. They enjoy the heat of a sunny wall behind them to encourage flowering. All seem hardy here - including the, reputedly tender, Desmodium praestans which survived -26 in 1981!