Passionflower Constance Elliot

Pure Elegance

Posted on by Ann Mackay

The white flowers of passionflower ‘Constance Elliot’ have been gradually appearing over recent weeks. There are never many at a time, but the sprinkling of delicate blooms feels like something very special to me.

This climber has only been in the garden for a couple of years, so it will no doubt spread and have a greater number of flowers in time. That’s if it can come through the cold of the winter!

There’s something about growing plants that are not really hardy or are only borderline hardy in your area that makes it all the more exciting and satisfying when they survive and flower.

Having lived most of my life in Scotland, it was a surprise to find that we could grow such things as passionflowers and grapevines here in Suffolk – and a tempting novelty! (Of course, there are things we could grow in Scotland that won’t grow here – rhododendrons particularly.)

Right now I’m trying to work faster in the garden to get as much as I can done before the weather turns wet and windy and winter arrives. Autumn can be a busy time, with plants to be split and moved, but this year there is plenty more to do on the new pond border. I’ll probably find myself working outside through the better weather of winter too – there’s so much to do! But for the moment, I must remember to take the time to enjoy the beautiful flowers that appear so briefly in the garden, especially these passionflowers.

Published by Ann Mackay

Photographer, mixed-media art adventurer and completely daft about plants.......

26 thoughts on “Pure Elegance”

  5. Passionflower is one of our most abundant natives. There are at least three species I know of — two of which I’ve found — but this one really is special. My casual preference for natives over cultivars has been eliminated with this one. If only I were in my old apartment, with its sunshine!

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    1. My parents’ garden here had both caerulea and Constance Elliot and they did really well because they were in a sheltered suntrap. Hubby tried some of the fruits but wasn’t too keen on them!

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  7. Beautiful Flower Ann. I am so impressed at the variety of plants that you seem to be able to grow! May be a silly question, but do you ever cover plants in the winter when the temperature really drops to save them? We have to do that here when a hard freeze is coming, but that only happens once or twice a year at most.

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    1. Thanks Syd! šŸ™‚ Yes, sometimes I cover plants with a wrapping of a couple of layers or more of frost fleece and it does seem to help. We bring some of the more tender plants into the conservatory for the winter. (It has a quarry-tiled floor and is set up more as an indoor garden than as a second sitting room, so that works quite well.) We haven’t had much really cold weather for the last couple of years or so, but if we do get really low temperatures, then we will be likely to lose some plants. At least the passionflowers are very cheap to buy as tiny starter plants, so we can always buy more.

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      1. I have lost my front yard twice to freezing in last 15 years and it always upsets me. But that is just how it goes here. Gives me a chance to try out some different types of plants. I think it is great you have a place like your conservatory to place more fragile plants. Wish I had one.

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      2. I’m glad our climate doesn’t go to extremes! The conservatory is something we’ve wanted for a long time and, since we expect to stay in this house, it made sense to get on and do it. I love it! šŸ™‚

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      3. We have large screened porches here but the area would be too hot in the summer if enclosed and very expensive to cool. But in the winter it would be so nice to have it enclosed. Therefore I have a few plants in pots out there but they are very messy, especially my favorite hibiscus plants. Sort of like my new cat I just got! Haha!

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      4. I vaguely remember seeing removable screens in bars in Turkey made from wood and glass. They used these to enclose bars early in the season and then took them away in summer. (This was a long time ago!) I hope you’re enjoying getting to know your new cat…I have two and they’re a lot of fun. šŸ™‚

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      5. We adopted a cat that had to have his tail amputated so it has been quite experience for us. She seems to be doing better, but a little touch and go. Many visits to the vet which she hates (who doesn’t hate to go to the doctor HaHa).

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      6. Ah, poor cat – but lucky to have you adopt it! I hope she makes a great recovery – nursing a cat can be really tricky. My boy Strathy really had me terribly worried a couple of years ago but has done well since. Today both cats are snoozing in the conservatory – it’s too wet and windy to go out. šŸ™‚

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