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.
November 27, 2018 at 5:54 pm (clematisinseattle)
Tags: Clematis Asao, Clematis Bees Jubilee, Clematis Duchess of Edinburgh, Clematis Fond Memories, Clematis Joe Zary, Clematis JOSEPHINE 'Evijohill', Clematis Ken Donson, Clematis Mrs. Cholmondeley, clematis nelly moser, clematis rebecca, Clematis Silver Moon, Clematis Sugar Sweet Blue, Clematis Tartu, clematis the first lady, Clematis Will Baron
With the exception of two recent additions, I have unfortunately been delinquent in posting about clematis for several months–blooming months at that! My camera, however, was still clicking away. Below are a few of the beautiful clematis I came upon, in my own garden as well as others, during April and May of last year.
C. ‘Joe Zary’ blooming in full sun in April. If it were in more shade, the color would be stronger.
The delightful and delectable C. ‘Asao’. Such lovely shades of pink and sometimes semi-double. This one is always one of the first three large-flowered clematis to bloom in my garden.
Early blossoms of C. Josephine ‘Evijohill’. Always a heart stopper!
Clematis ‘Sugar Sweet Blue’ wafting its fragrance on my deck, backed by a stunning Chilean Fire Tree (Embothrium).
C. ‘The First Lady’, one of only a few clematis actually hybridized in the US. I don’t know which First Lady was meant to be honored with the name, but I think of my personal favorite First Lady whenever I look at it.
C. ‘Silver Moon’ looking ethereal in the shade.
C. ‘Ken Donson’ strutting his stuff.
The redder than red C. ‘Rebecca’!
A visit to C. ‘Duchess of Edinburgh’ on a garden tour.
Oh, be still, my heart! C. ‘Fond Memories’ while on a garden tour, gloriously blooming before my own even started. Definitely one of my favorites!
Still touring gardens–C. ‘Nelly Moser’ or one of her imitators.
Another C. ‘Nelly Moser’ look alike spotted while garden touring. Could be C. ‘Bees Jubilee’.
Back home to find C. ‘Tartu’ blooming away. Love the two-tone ruffly look.
Last, but definitely not least, the time-honored classic, C. ‘Mrs. Cholmondeley’ (pronounced Chumly)
June 10, 2015 at 5:28 pm (Clematis of the Month, clematisinseattle, Spotlight on Clematis)
Tags: Clematis CEZANNE 'Evipo 23', Clematis Etoile Violette, Clematis Fair Rosamond, Clematis Fond Memories, Clematis JOSEPHINE 'Evijohill', clematis louise rowe, Clematis Omoshiro, Clematis Proteus, Clematis recta Purpurea, Clematis Tartu, Clematis Utopia
May’s Winner
May Winner–Clematis CEZANNE adorning an oversized windowbox.
Choosing just one May winner this year was no easy task because many lovely clematis gracefully embellished my garden throughout the month. After much consideration, the clematis I chose to take the prize is Clematis CEZANNE, with it’s big cluster of blue(ish) satiny flowers, draped over the edge of my windowbox. This clematis, bred by clematis hybridizer Raymond Evison as a Patio Clematis, has a smaller root system than most clematis, making it perfect for a pot or, in my case, a large windowbox. Patio Clematis bloom in several flushes throughout the summer, especially when deadheaded or cut back after each flush dies down. Pruning is easy–just cut them back hard in late winter (even late fall in milder climates like Seattle).
May’s Runners Up
The runners up in May are no slouches. Check them out!
The delectable double blossoms of Clematis JOSEPHINE.
The glamorous Clematis Etiole de Malicorne
Already the first blooms of Clematis Etoile Violette, which normally blooms for me late June to early August!
Clematis Fair Rosamond gracing a doorway, this year with very strong pink bars, making it appear to favor Clematis Nellie Moser.
Clematis recta Purpurea, cascading down from its support and about to open its prolific and fragrant small flowers.
Clematis Proteus
Clematis Louise Rowe
Clematis Tartu made a comely comeback after wilting last year!
A slightly tattered Clematis Omoshiro (oh, those pesky slugs!).
Clematis Utopia, similar to Omoshiro above and to another lovely clematis I covet, Clematis Fond Memories (below)
Clematis Fond Memories (photo taken by me at the Rogerson Clematis Collection in Lake Oswego, Oregon). Sadly, this one does not yet grace my own garden.
October 20, 2014 at 3:05 pm (Clematis of the Month, clematisinseattle, Spotlight on Clematis)
Tags: clematis crispa, Clematis Duchess of Edinburgh, Clematis Kermisina, Clematis Little Nell, Clematis recta Purpurea, Clematis Red Princess, Clematis Tartu, Clematis Vancouver Morning Mist, Clematis viorna
Clematis viorna in early August, blooming away.
C. viorna still blooming in October with beauty berry.
August was a difficult month for clematis in Seattle, where we suffered the hottest summer on record, along with very little rain. OK, OK, so some people loved it — but not me or my clems. I’m learning the hard way that most clematis do NOT like really hot dry weather. Many of mine took a snit and slowed down or stopped flowering altogether, AND developed crispy brown or spotted leaves. Hrmph, not an alluring effect.
But Clematis viorna came through the hot weather like a charm, perhaps because it originates from the summer-hot southeastern US. This clematis, which began blooming for me in late May or June, continued to sport loads of blossoms and unscathed leaves throughout the month of August, making it my garden’s Clematis of the Month for August.
Purple leaves of C. recta purpurea for the second time.
C. recta purpura, blooming a second time in late August!
The Challenger
Clematis recta purpurea was a contender this month, even though it was Clematis of the Month for July. This clematis, which has the most beautiful rich purple foliage in the spring, bloomed wonderfully in June with small fragrant white flowers. As noted last month, I cut it back to the ground when it finished blooming and quickly got new purple leaves, as expected. But I did not expect it to bloom again! Check out it’s second blooming in August!
Problem Clematis
In June and July, I cut back several clematis–hard–for various reasons. Clematis Vancouver Morning Mist wilted in June for the FOURTH year in a row. I cut it back to the ground and informed the culprit that my patience was gone. In the fall, it would be OUTA HERE! One August morning, I noticed something pink beckoning me over by the entry path. Good gracious! It was C. Vancouver Morning Mist opening the first of what turned out to be seven blossoms. I must have scared the living daylights out of it! I guess I’ll keep it.
C. Vancouver Morning Mist — Reprieve!
I was loosing my patience with C. Duchess of Edinburgh, too. This clematis had one woody stem with no flowers and scorched ugly leaves. Yuch! I couldn’t take it. Even though I might seriously set it back, I chopped it to about six inches. It’s in a pot with a great-looking, heat-loving Chilean Glory Vine (probably a little crowded in there), so I didn’t miss the clematis much. Well, to my surprise, C. Duchess of Edinburgh came back FAST with big fresh new leaves — and a bit later with several big fat buds! The blooms were not double as they are in the spring, but they were lovely large pristine white blooms that looked great with all the greenery. I wonder if clematis leaves grown in the cool moist spring and early summer in Seattle just aren’t programed to take our hot dry summers. In my experience (especially this summer) leaves that come into being in the heat of summer handle hot and dry just fine.
The Duchess Blooms!
As mentioned in an earlier post, my young Clematis Tartu (with lovely large ruffled lilac blossoms in spring) succumbed to the wilt just as the first flower bud was ready to open and had to be whacked back to the ground. Very disappointing, especially since I had it in a new ceramic pot by the patio! But like C. Vancouver Morning Mist, this one grew back quickly and actually had several blooms in August. Check it out!
C. Tartu blooms without wilting!
What these three clematis have taught me is that if a clematis wilts, has scorched leaves, or is looking just plain ugly, go ahead and cut it back! It may well come back and bloom again in the same year. Some of my clematarian friends (like Debbie Fisher of Silver Star Vinery and Linda Beutler of the Rogerson Clematis Collection) have tried to tell me for years to cut them back at the drop of a hat, but I guess I just needed to see it for myself.
A Few More August Blooms
C. Beauty of Worcester blooming in August instead of spring!
Clematis Freckles blooming in August instead of October!
C. Kermisina blooming as expected–in August.
C. crispa
Dainty C. Little Nell (named for the young neighbor of the hybridizer)
C. Princess Red
Clematis in Seattle 