Clematis Climador | Clematis in Seattle

The Blooms of June 2018

December 9, 2018 at 1:55 pm (clematisinseattle, Spotlight on Clematis)
Tags: Clematis Betty Corning, clematis caroline, Clematis Climador, clematis crystal fountain, Clematis Etoile Violette, clematis fairy blue, clematis florida sieboldii, Clematis Fond Memories, Clematis Fujimusume, Clematis Koenigskind, Clematis Lord Hershel, Clematis Morning Mist, Clematis Perle d'Azur, Clematis Polish Spirit, Clematis Princess Red, Clematis Proteus, Clematis recta Purpurea, Clematis Tartu, Clematis texensis seedling, clematis the first lady, Clematis Vyvyan Pennell

June in my garden offered a plethora of colorful, diverse, and interesting clematis, including the last of the large-flowered bloomers, early blossoms from July bloomers, and three beautiful clematis bell flowers, two of which are home-grown seedlings of the dainty scarlet bells of Clematis texensis.

C. ‘Morning Mist’ with C. ‘Proteus’ in the background. One flower of C. ‘Morning Mist’ measured 10 inches in diameter this year, the largest clematis blossom in my garden.

The plummy C. ‘Lord Hershel’. Not being a climber, this one lounges around on whatever it can find unless you truss it up.

C. ‘Fujimusume’ is one of my personal favorites. Satiny sky blue!

C. ‘Proteus’ glows in a fabulous muted pink. Who could count the petals?

My own fantabulous C. ‘Fond Memories’ blooming in June. Ahhhh.

Above, the complex blooms of C. ‘Crystal Fountain’, also known as C. ‘Fairy Blue’, just beginning to open.

And here they are, fully open. Beautiful either way!

C. ‘Caroline’ (pink) cavorting with the big double lavender blooms of C. ‘Vyvyan Pennell’

The purple-leaved C. recta ‘Purpurea’ flouncing in the garden and emitting its delicious fragrance. The mauve blooms of C. ‘The First Lady’ poking up in the back join in the fun.

C. florida ‘Sieboldii’. I have two plants of this clematis. Both were sold to me as C. florida ‘Sieboldii’, but they look quite different.

This one has a smaller, darker center. Both, however, stop visitors in their tracks.

C. ‘Polish Spirit’ already loaded down with flowers and buds, though it’s still only June!

Clematis Climador ‘Koenigskind’ is free-flowering on a compact plant.

A classic from the late 1800s, C. ‘Perle d’Azur’ always delights the eye.

Show stoppers C. ‘Etoile Violette’ (dark purple) and C. ‘Betty Corning’ (mauve bell) just beginning to strut. They bloomed together for more than eight weeks during the summer, starting in mid-June. I guesstimate that each of them graced the old dead plum tree that supports them with 3,000 – 4,000 blooms through the season. Amazing!

Clematis ‘Princess Red’, a Japanese hybrid of the American native, C. crispa. The dark pink color might come from a bit of C. texensis (a red-flowered US native) in it’s DNA. What a gorgeous flower.

An elegantly shaped dusky pink flower on a C. texensis plant that I grew from seed received from the British Clematis Society.

Also a plant I grew from seed, this one is similar to a well-known texensis hybrid, C. ‘Etoile Rose’. Mine I think has more of a twist in the petals. Proud mama.

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The First Lady–May’s Clematis of the Month

May 23, 2016 at 5:29 pm (Clematis of the Month, clematisinseattle, Spotlight on Clematis)
Tags: clematis caroline, clematis cezanne, Clematis Climador, clematis crystal fountain, Clematis Fireworks, Clematis Fujimusume, Clematis Josephine, Clematis Lord Herschell, clematis louise rowe, Clematis Morning Mist, Clematis Ramona, clematis rebecca, clematis rhapsody, clematis the first lady, Clematis Utopia, Clematis Vyvyan Pennell

TheFirstLady

So many of the large-flowered clematis in my garden are blooming extremely early this year, as much as six – eight weeks ahead of schedule. But whenever they choose to bloom, they look wonderful!

During my frequent strolls through the garden, I enjoy observing clematis in all their various stages–and, yes, sometimes I even talk to them. This spring, Clematis ‘The First Lady’ talked back loudly, showing herself off to great advantage. I purchased this clematis two or three years ago as Clematis ‘Rhapsody’, a clematis for which I had been hankering for some time. Once I saw the first meager bloom, I knew I had purchased a misnamed plant. But not until this year, when the poor clematis had built up enough strength to drag itself up out of the heavy shade of a big Fatshedera into the sunshine, did I really see what a gorgeous flower my mistake clematis produced–large lavender blooms (one flower actually measured 9 inches in diameter!), with contrasting burgundy stamens, ruffled edges, and textual ridges in the middle of each pointed petal. Elegantissimo! I was able to identify it as Clematis ‘The First Lady’ and seriously considered deeming this tough and beautiful plant Clematis of the Month for this month.

The First Lady3

Serendipitously, yesterday my yoga teacher described to me a clematis a friend gave her as a cut flower. She has a fine eye for detail, so I was able to identify her unseen clematis from her description as Clematis ‘The First Lady.’ I showed her a photo on my smart phone to be sure and impressed both her and myself with my quick ID. That clinched it–Clematis ‘The First Lady’ is Clematis of the Month for May in my garden this year!

TheFirstLady2

Clematis ‘The First Lady’ is an American clematis introduced into commerce by Arthur Steffen in Long Island, New York, in 1989. Mr. Steffen’s company is also responsible for introducing, in 1932, another gorgeous and famous American clematis, now grown throughout the world, Clematis Betty Corning. The beauty of the name of May’s Clematis of the Month is that you can choose your own favorite First Lady to be represented by this clematis. I know who mine is!

Below is a smattering of the many other worthy candidates blooming in my garden this month.