ARISTOLOCHIA MANSHURENSIS

Aristolochia manshuriensis is a hardy climber with heart shaped apple green leaves and large flowers like a yellow brown saxaphone or a dutch-man's pipe. A  superb Crug farm collection  from South Korea.

THALICTRUM ORIENTALE

Forming a neat mound 30cm high this Thalictrum has been flowering solidly since February.

It originates from Turkey and likes to be in  dry shade - what more could you ask of a plant?

I will try to propagate it for next year, A gem from Evolution Plants,

The Juno Irises have a reputation for being tricky to grow.

 I have only ever attempted two varieties that are supposed to be fool proof and they have done well in a sunny dry spot underneath a  thirsty evergreen shrub.

LONICERA ELISAE

 Lonicera elisae is a hardy and very reliable winter flowering shrub.

 Supposedly it is fragrant but the weather is usually too cold then to catch the scent. 

Unlike Lonicera x purpusii, it flowers on completely bare wood. Should it come out in June it would be hardly noticed but is a welcome sight here in February and March.

ATHEROSPERMA MOSCATA

An erect evergreen shrub from Australia that I have grown here against a wall for over thirty years.

It is well over 4 metres high and has scented white flowers every February.

CLEMATIS YUNNANENSIS 'WINTER BEAUTY'

This is a newish evergreen climber with attractive foliage and reddish stems.

It is clearly vigorous but there does seem to be some doubts as to it's hardiness.

I have yet to test it with a cold winter.

It has delicately fragrant, waxy bell-shaped flowers from January to March.

Try it in a sunny sheltered site.

 

ARAUJIA SERICIFERA

Araujia sericifera is an evergreen South American climber that survives most winters but is not completely hardy.
It flowers in late summer and is fruiting now.  It's common name is cruel plant as moths, bees and butterflies are often trapped by the secretion within it's flowers.

They seem to usually escape the following morning when the flowers re-open.