Whichford Pottery, just a smidgeon outside Oxfordshire, is one of our local treasures, and this summer a series of talks are being held on various topics. Visitors (who have to pre-book) can pay £5 for an hour-long talk by an expert nurseryman and then enjoy the surroundings with tea or coffee accompanied by huge slices of cake.

On Friday and Saturday, July 31, and August 1, Lockyers Nursery will talk about fuchsias (at 11am) and (at 2.30pm) Ann Anson, a NAFAS flower arranger, will inspire you with a demonstration that will include ‘pot at fleur’ arrangements combining potted fuchsias and cut flowers. Whichford’s annual Bulb and Flowerpot Bonanza will be held between Friday, September 17, and Sunday, September 26. The pottery is open seven days a week but please ring to check opening times. There are pot offers at every event and a visit is always enjoyable. (01608 684416). Whichford Pottery lies three miles from The Rollright Stones and a couple of miles away from Wyatt’s Garden Centre (signed off the A3400 near Long Compton). You will find a huge range of shrubs, trees, climbers and roses at this family-run centre.

There was a fascinating talk on Passion Flowers given by Jane Lindsay of Tynings Nursery — home to one of The Plant Heritage Collections. There are 1,200 species of passion flower (Passiflora) and most of them are tropical species from South America. One hundred species are half-hardy and some of these can survive in sheltered microclimates given good drainage. Only two species are considered hardy. The most commonly grown in British gardens is the Blue Passion Flower — Passiflora caerulea. This produces large white flowers with blue-tipped filaments — said to represent the crown of thorns. The five stamens symbolise Jesus’s wounds and three prominent stigmas are said to be the three nails. The flower’s structure inspired this legend. It was begun in 1609 by Jacomo Bosio, a monastic scholar, who was working on a treatise on the Cross of Calvary.

An Augustinian friar called Emmanuel de Villegas, who was a Mexican by birth, showed Jacomo Bosio drawings of the passion flower. Bosio, who had not seen the real thing, thought that de Villegas’ drawings were exaggerated. However Mexican Jesuits passing through Rome assured Bosio that these flowers existed. He named Passiflora — flower of the passion. ‘Constance Elliot’ is a pure-white hybrid I long to grow.

Passion flowers grow rapidly and if you buy one in a pot it will need repotting every four weeks during the growing season. Jane recommends 75 per cent John Innes No 3 (a loam-based rich compost) mixed with 25 per cent multi-purpose compost. The pots should go up in size gradually and the top of the plant should always remain level with the compost’s surface. Leave an inch gap at the top of the pot to improve drainage. These handsome climbers are not greedy feeders. One application of tomato food every three to four weeks is enough. The extra potash will improve flower quality and encourage fruit. Passion flowers usually produce a few flowers at a time and these can be followed by orange fruits. The fruits of P. caerulea look attractive but are rather insipid to eat.

These rampant growers need to be pruned throughout the growing season. Shorten the long lengths. In September, cut away a third of the new growth. Cuttings are easy. Look for long shoots that have begun to toughen up and trim below the leaf joint. Plunge into potting compost and cover with a bag. Keep the cuttings in shade. June is an excellent time to take them.

n Tynings Nursery is at 111 Clevedon Road, Tickenham, Somerset, BS21 6RE. Telephone 01275 852439 (www.tyningsclimbers.co.uk).