PUSHING THE BORDERS

For complete transparency I must sheepishly admit to having to eat a small slice of humble pie. Turns out the plant they sent IS 'Indian Summer', despite what the big colour tag says.

14 days on I actually get a reply from their 'customer care' who snottily tell me that the pictures I sent are of no value, I need to take a series of pictures of the whole plant, from pot to tip, completely out of the packaging, the big colour label plus the white sticker on the pot. White sticker on the pot? Didn't know there was one. Sure enough, the size of a postage stamp and mostly peeled off that, with reading glasses, gives the product code that matches my order plus the name. 'Indian Summer'. Ah.

In my defence, M'Lud, it doesn't alter the fact that the big label was wrong or that it took two weeks to answer my message but I am pleased that at least I have the right plant (and have now deleted the bad TrustPilot review :lol:) I am further pleased because a/ I didn't throw it away and b/ it is the stronger of the two plants they sent.

I've seen both in full flower here in town and Campsis had it all over the Bignonia.

Thanks Stan. I don't think the bignonia is widely enough grown here to make much of a comparison.

In the uk I think the main difference is the likelihood of seeing flowers and bignonia is a lot earlier to do it but I agree for spectical campsite wins , if it bothers to flower!!

FWIW there’s an article on Campsis in the August 30th edition of Garden News.

charlie wrote: ↑Wed Sep 03, 2025 3:39 pm In the uk I think the main difference is the likelihood of seeing flowers and bignonia is a lot earlier to do it but I agree for spectical campsite wins , if it bothers to flower!!

My climate is probably nearer to Stan's than yours, Charlie, so I live in hope. :D

ian s wrote: ↑Wed Sep 03, 2025 7:21 pm FWIW there’s an article on Campsis in the August 30th edition of Garden News.

Looks like that is a subscription mag? I looked online but you even have to pay to not accept cookies, so that isn't happening.

On my visit to the University of Cambridge Botanic Gardens last week, I came across this, IMO, stunning Campsis growing entwined within what looked like the standard radicans. The flowers were huge and a really vibrant orange. I asked on the Unusual Plants UK FB site if anyone knew it. Many thought it to be Madame Galen, which of course it isn’t. A Dutch contributor has it and confirmed it to be C. grandiflora ‘Morning Calm’. I can’t find a UK supplier of it but it would certainly be on my list.