c.scandens A rather wet bloom

Wet maybe, but at least you got a flower!!

Mrv:

Very nice close up!

Is this a very vigorous vine for you?

I've seen Cobaea scandens cover a 100 foot long fence in less than 2 years here in California. It's an amazing flowering vine!

Thank you Delonix ... it has been quite vigorous, but, sadly because of the nature of the plant (native of Mexico I believe (and polinated by Bats and Humming Birds so I understand)) it can only really be grown as an annual here in the UK as a general rule ... a good summer it'll bloom it's heart out ... this year sadly, I got one flower from two plants ... and that makes me very lucky this year!!! I'm going to try to keep the plant over winter above 5 degrees centigrade. I do have a few more seeds though.

At best, the vines grew 10 feet, only 10% of what you're used to :)

Mrv:

I assume your summer was cooler than normal...the reason why it bloomed so little?

Your vine should survive if kept above 41F./5C., as long as it's keep on the dry side. I've read established vines can survive freezing temps and will re-sprout from the roots. However, I don't know how true this is because I never get such cold temps where I live here in San Diego.

Cooler than normal ... well, about normal really. A very mixed bag in the South East of England. We started cool windy and wet (after a warm spring, although some hard late frosts), July was, to be frank, DRY as a bone and really quite hot, then cool wet and windy again through August, turning pleasant again into early September.

I think the plant can survive a glancing quick frost ok ... I accidently left the plants out one night in May (5th I believe) we had a hard late frost that night ... the plant seemed to shrug it off - even though their 5 inch pots had frozen solid. The problem will come with prolonged temeperatures below 5c in the soil - the last 2 Winters have been very hard.

Mrv:

It sounds like you had an unusual summer also. We had one of the coolest summers in 80 years. Our average inland San Diego high temperature was only 83F/28C., the average highs are usually between 88F/31C. - 92F/34C. and many times getting much hotter.

That's pretty impressive that this plant survived such low temps as a seedling. It's almost worth a try in the ground where you live. :>)