Your Akebia leaves are exactly as they should be - I don't know which pictures you've looked at, but it doesn't have glossy leaves, they are a mid to light green, as you describe.

Mine certainly aren't glossy, Paul, and your plant has done well to produce flowers. I planted a new 'Cream Form' last year, and it had a few flowers this spring. It'll go from strength to strength - you'll see!

Thanks for the responses - youre both right that they shouldnt be glossy (apologies for the misleading description) its perhaps more correct to say that the leaves are a bit anaemic and seem to lack that healthy 'lustre' that other members pics seem to have - is this known as Akebia envy ??.
Once the summer weather (ahem) has stopped I will post a pic

OK. I'm sure it'll prove to be fine, though!

Lucky you having already seen the flowers. I planted my Akebia Quinata (chocolate vine) last year and although it is very rampant and healthy, no sign of flowers.

Patience, patience! lol.

Ive managed to take a couple of snaps & am interested in your views as I just have a feeling that its not 100% ??

Doesn't look healthy, that's for sure - is it in the ground or in a pot, and in a sunny or shady spot, north or south facing?

Its in the ground - south(ish) facing at the top of a slope climbing up a boundary fence on a trellis. It gets the sun from approx 11am to 7pm

A dry place to be then - if you can, enrich the soil with something like composted horse manure, leaf mould, soil conditioning compost, whatever, if you did not do this before planting it. They like rich, fertile soil, so maybe not enough nutrients, or not humus rich anyway. I'd guess some of the discolouration is caused by possibly being nipped by frost during May, but am not too sure it hasn't got either black spot or some kind of leaf spot, possibly fungal. Might be worth spraying with a fungicide that treats both these conditions.

I planted it with about half a bag of general compost (Shamrock I think) and the base of the plant is shaded by a very vigorous Delphinium. I use Miracle-gro as a feed - I just wondered whether it was deficient in other nutrients.

Would bone, fish & blood (or whatever it is, - I really am an amateur !!) help it ?

I realise you're feeding with Miracle Gro, which will help, but the reason I told you to add some humus to the soil in the form of what I mentioned is that this, in the long term, is infinitely better for plants, not to mention your soil and the environment - Miracle Gro's just a short term fix, giving nitrogen in particular, plus a few other elements, in an instantly available form.. Adding fish, blood and bone at the same time as any composted materials you can find will also help. You know what they say - look after the soil, and it will look after you in terms of growing great plants.

Thanks Bamboo

I think Ive got some well rotted sheep manure somewhere - would that do ?

Do I plonk it on top or work it in at the base of the plant ?

Sorry for the basic questions but I have soooo little knowledge of gardening practices. I hope Im not trying your patience.

Not at all, Paulr; you can plonk it on the top if you want, it will eventually get "sucked" down by worm activity. Chuck some fish, blood and bone underneath it first.