One of the hardier and prettier of the Passion Fruits , this is a relatively short vine, easy to grow in well drained soil and enjoying full sun to part shade. It is drought tolerant and flowers in early summer with the sweet golden fruits ripening toward the end of autumn. Its evergreen, deeply lobed leaves provide an excellent backdrop to show off the attractive bright purple bowl-shaped flowers. ... Learn More

Strong vines carry large, attractive, greenish-white flowers, which produce absolutely huge, almost spherical, orange to yellow fruits. The fascinating outer shell is slippery and hard like an egg-shell, and has soft padding on the interior to protect the easily-chewed black seeds which are surrounded by sweet, aromatic, transparent pulp, rather reminiscent of pineapple. These fruits are best eaten like a hard-boiled egg by cutting off a piece of the hard shell and scooping out the tasty flesh, which contains vitamins A, C, and K, phosphorus, iron, and calcium. It is native to the Andes Mountains between Bolivia, Venezuela and Colombia, growing as far south as northern Argentina and as far north as Mexico. Outside of its native range it grows in the tropical mountains of Africa and Australia, and is now common in local markets of Papua New Guinea. ... Learn More

From Colombia and Ecuador comes this rare and seemingly newly-discovered, profusely-flowering Passiflora, which opens saucer-shaped, strawberry-red flowers, white at the bases, with short blue and white coronas, and prominent yellow anthers. Whilst red-flowered ones have been available for a long time, this combination is unique. This evergreen to semi-evergreen vine dies back to the ground in colder areas, but will return reliably if well mulched or planted in a sunny location. The fruit is fragrant, smelling like a cross between the purple passion fruit and banana passion fruit, and may be edible, although it can be toxic when unripe. It has been suggested that P. manicata fruit may be hallucinogenic and it is known in Ecuador as ‘diablito’ because of its hallucinogenic properties. Other sources suggest that the fruit is edible, and probably eating unripe fruit (dangerous with any Passiflora) is the problem. The gorgeous flowers will attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinating insects, as well as hummingbirds in warmer climes, because the flowers produce copious amounts of nectar. Although this variety grows in nature high in the mountains of Peru, between 1500-2500mtrs, and shows cool temperature tolerance, it can also be grown indoors as well as outdoors. In the house it can flower all the year round, but in the garden, patio or balcony, it flowers until late autumn. ... Learn More

One of the most beautiful of the passion flowers, this beauty opens its large, fragrant flowers with deep red petals and a centre crown that contains five rows of numerous white and purple rays. Large leaves hang from stems that are quadrangular in cross section, hence its botanical name. It produces the most enormous fruits of all of the passion fruits, which grow very rapidly, and may weigh up to 4 kg (9 lb) turning to medium yellow when mature. For best fruiting, flowers should be hand pollinated. The ripe fruit is eaten fresh or used in drinks whilst unripe, green fruit is eaten as a vegetable. It is quite hardy, surviving temperatures down to 1°C (35°F) for short periods of time. In warm areas it can be cultivated in home gardens, or it can even be kept as a greenhouse or indoor container plant, and grown in a sunny south-facing window. ... Learn More

Deepest blood-red petunia-like flowers bloom continuously throughout the summer months, set off against the most finely incised bright green foliage of this very rarely offered climber. An absolute show-stopper on any trellis or pergola, this most graceful climbing vine is a true head-turner, or if you want to admire it for longer, make it a fabulous centre-piece in the conservatory. Few seeds. ... Learn More

The "Purple Bell Vine" is always one of the most sought-after climbing plants here. Deepest purple, almost black, flared tubular flowers with deep pink bracts, hang amongst the heart-shaped leaves. An exceptional container plant for the conservatory which will flower continuously for months on end. ... Learn More

This modern grandiflora Sweet Pea, a new introduction by Keith Hammett, is a stunning dark maroon, almost black in fact. Also known under the name "Little Black Dress, it has amazing scent and has inherited the strong and heady perfume of its forebears together with improved petal size and stem length, making wonderful cut flowers. ... Learn More

'Ballerina Blue' is a vigorous, free-flowering cultivar growing to 1.8m, bearing usually 4 flowers on stems to 30cm. Flowers are a soft blue with purplish tinges, highly scented. Suitable for exhibition. ... Learn More

This powerfully-perfumed Spencer sweet pea variety has large flowers with as many as 6 or 7 florets spread along long strong stems. Bred by New Zealand based breeder Keith Hammett it is ideal as a cut flower. ... Learn More

One of the 'more modern' heirloom varieties from 1898. Sprays of heavily perfumed, bicolored deep maroon/violet flowers. ... Learn More

This lovely modern grandiflora type introduced by Roger Parsons in 2007 is a good clear mid blue. The breeder says "It is an Early flowering fragrant Spencer type with long stems and hooded standards". ... Learn More

This Grandiflora mix contains a choice assortment of most of the colours available in these highly-fragranced flowers. As well as the usual whites, blues, pinks, mauves and purples, there is a good proportion of attractive bi-colours. ... Learn More

These dwarf sweet peas, all with a compact bushy habit, display an attractive colour range over a long season. They are perfect for scrambling over a low fence, through shrubs, or even cascading from a container on the patio. ... Learn More

This truly different grandiflora type, also called "Pollyanna" is a distinct colour break from most others, as it is a bicolour with almost translucent, very fragrant, bluish pink standard and white wings. Although it has few flowers per stem, the number of stems produced is prolific! ... Learn More

This modern grandiflora type, also sold under the name name "Mama Mia" is new and totally unique. This reverse-bicolour flower is possibly the most exciting novelty sweet pea to come from Keith Hammett's breeding program in New Zealand. It has a light pink standard and rich mid blue wings, and is derived from a cross between a sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) and the recently discovered species Lathyrus belinensis, indeed, there is nothing else like it. Seed very scarce. ... Learn More