Devon Subtropical Garden
banner
devonsubtropical.bsky.social
Devon Subtropical Garden
@devonsubtropical.bsky.social
Private North Devon garden specialising in passionflowers, hedychium, bananas, colocasia etc.
Featured on BBC Gardeners World 2024 Episode 31

Open for National Gardens Scheme
Web:
Devonsubtropicalgarden.rocks
🌱
First frost last night, and a sharp one. Exactly what was needed to stop weedy new growth and reset plants. Greenhouse heating passed first test of the season (looking to keep a minimum of +5C)
Time to focus on clearing up and generating lovely compost for next year.
November 21, 2025 at 11:14 AM
The greenhouse is now nearly winter ready. All plants are back in and the heaters are ready for the first cold night.
Heated trays are already in place and protecting the most tender items and other greenhouse inhabitants!
And yes we are a right soft touch (see second pic)
November 3, 2025 at 10:30 AM
I’ve now had it confirmed that this is #Passiflora ‘Scarlet Flame’ which is not quite as tender as its parent, P. vitifolia. Nevertheless I will overwinter it very dry (misting more often than watering) &in September grafted some shoots to the hardy P. caerulea which will overwinter on a heated tray
October 30, 2025 at 10:46 AM
🌱
A bit of late season #passiflora colour:
P. ‘Scarlet Flame’
P. ‘Blue Nun’*
P. ‘Pura Vida’
P. ‘Byte’

*unofficial name - our open pollinated hybrid of P. ‘La Morellina’
October 19, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Sharing the joys of cat sitting for our neighbour when they expect photos and videos every day.
Enjoy…
October 15, 2025 at 6:37 PM
🌱
We had a lot of fun giving our Tropical Plants talk to Ilfracombe flower club yesterday.We seem to be in moderately high demand at the moment which is nice!
Someone described these talks as ‘a cross between a gardening talk & a slightly sinister piece of performance art.’ A compliment, probably!
October 15, 2025 at 2:12 PM
🌱
Some great scented passionflowers n the greenhouse today.
Here is one of our latest seedlings, an open pollinated seedling from P. ‘Fata Confetto’ so far free flowering,robust and well scented. We will see how it overwinters
&the glorious P. ‘Byte’ one of the best scented #passiflora you can grow
October 6, 2025 at 10:42 AM
🌱
Lots of great colour from the #passiflora in the greenhouse.
P. ‘Scarlet Flame’,
P. ‘Pretty Tina’
P. ‘Pura Vida’
P. ‘Buzios’ (a form or hybrid of P. princeps - used to be called P. racemosa)
All lovely but none are scented.
October 6, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Some passionflowers:
tacsonia hybrid - we have been growing this as P. ‘Coral Seas’ but it probably isn’t!
P. ‘Michael’ - has done well this year.
An open pollinated hybrid of P. ‘La Morellina’ - really like this one.
P. ‘Vivacious Velvet’ our amethystina caerulea hybrid - great scent.
October 2, 2025 at 8:08 PM
As the season winds down and day length, light intensity and temperatures reduce some #passiflora flowers stay open for 2 or 3 days giving some dramatic displays.
Here are P. ‘Byte’, P. ‘Fata Confetto’ and a seed raised P. incarnata.
October 2, 2025 at 8:03 PM
🌱
Some lovely #passiflora action today. Here’s P. ‘Pura Vida’ with really strong Autumn colour and the night flowering P. ‘Annette’ which can stay open all day when it gets duller and the days get shorter.
September 21, 2025 at 8:29 PM
🌱
Better late than never!
It’s not been a vintage year for our indoor hedychiums, my fault mainly as we have prioritised Passiflora.
This is likely to be the only flower from H. maximum, the huge scented glory of autumn.
More to follow as it opens.
I will try harder next year!
September 17, 2025 at 11:38 AM
One big #passiflora success this year has been this P. ‘Michael’ (P. x vitifolia x P. caerulea) with its huge red flowers.
Although not prolific, it has flowered steadily through the season (with a few buds to come) and has remained healthy. I have now grafted some bits to P. caerulea rootstock.
September 13, 2025 at 6:05 PM
🌱
This was a lovely surprise this morning. An open pollinated seedling from #Passiflora ‘Fata Confetto’ (seen in last pic) sown this spring. It is healthy looking and full of buds. The flowers are pretty, decent sized and have a good scent. I think this is a keeper!
September 9, 2025 at 11:46 AM
🌱
Busy with gardening open today so quick share from yesterday. So here’s the magnificent #Passiflora x decaisneana (often missold as quadrangularis - but it’s a hybrid of that & P. alata and a much easier plant to manage) wonderful huge scented flowers. I’ve crossed it with pollen from P. ‘Buzios’
September 7, 2025 at 8:48 AM
🌱
It’s red/purple day in the greenhouse.
#Passiflora ‘Marijke’ (P. x decaisneana x P. caerulea)
P. cocuyensis ‘Nova’
P. ‘Michael’ (P. vitifolia x P. caerulea)
& P. ‘Pura Vida’ ((P. kermesina x P. caerulea) x P. princeps)

Lovely!

We even have a P. x decaisneana about to flower.
September 5, 2025 at 10:35 AM
🌱
By far the two best outdoor hedychium to grow (beating Tara, densiflorum etc by virtue of great scent & long flowering - each inflorescence up to 2 weeks as opposed to 4 to 5 days) are ‘Devon Cream’ & ‘Corelli’.
But which is best?
No point disturbing Harry Hill with this one, just grow both.
September 4, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Some wonderfully scented #passiflora in the greenhouse.
P. x allardii (P. x decaisneana* x P. caerulea)
P. x belotii (P. alata x P. caerulea)
P. ‘Byte’ (P. ‘Byron Beauty’ x P. ‘Temptation’)
P. ‘Fata Confetto’ (P. ‘Guglielmo Betto’ x P. cincinnata 'Dark Pollen'.

*probably-published as quadrangularis
September 3, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Some top quality colourful #passiflora hybrids in the greenhouse:
P. ‘Michael’ (P. vitifolia x P. caerulea)
P. x violacea ‘Victoria’ (P. caerulea x P. princeps)
P. ‘Pretty Tina’ (P. tarapotina x P. caerulea)
& our hybrid P. ‘Blue Nun’ (P. ‘La Morellina’ open pollinated)
September 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM
🌱
As the days shorten, temperatures drop and the intensity of the sun lessens some #passiflora start to flower and some that have been flowering all summer like Cor Laurens’s recent P. caerulea x P. kermesina hybrid, P. ‘Beervelde’ and ancient hybrid P. ‘Victoria’ develop deeper colours.
August 27, 2025 at 7:45 PM
🌱

First flower from a seedling that germinated outside from batch discarded a 2 years ago. Might be hybrid of P. ‘Fata Confetto’ (last pic with a bee on).
Flowers are smaller & less fancy than ‘Fata Confetto’ but scent is excellent & it’s free flowering. Definitely a keeper!
More to come!
August 25, 2025 at 1:42 PM
🌱
Today’s #passiflora report
Beautiful red P. cocuyensis ‘Nova’
The shocking pink flowers of P. x exoniensis
A bee on a tiny P. tucumanensis
&finally most excitingly a flower bud on P. X decaisneana (often sold as the species P. quadrangularis but most frequently you get this hybrid-a better plant)
August 19, 2025 at 9:05 AM
🌱
#Hedychium ‘Tai Golden Goddess’ reminding us why it deserves its prominent position in the greenhouse.
Lovely scent at a reasonable height (some require a step ladder to enjoy!)
August 18, 2025 at 10:45 AM
🌱
From tiny plug plants to huge flowering monsters in 3 & a half months(if given ideal conditions)
#Passiflora ‘Byte’ & P. ‘Fata Confetto’ are scented delights for your greenhouse/conservatory.
Video on how to achieve this will follow at some point.
August 18, 2025 at 10:40 AM
🌱
Ok, let’s do this!
The sun is shining and there is plenty of cake!
@ngsopengardens.bsky.social
August 17, 2025 at 9:56 AM