Monday, August 18, 2008

Clematis

Some photos from earlier this summer.
Comtesse De Bouchaude covers a corner of my garage. This clematis is a strong grower for me. It repeats, but only very slightly.
I'm afraid I don't know the names of the two blues. Neither has as many flowers as the Comtesse but they are such a lovely shade of blue. They produce an occasional flower here and there after their big June flush. I love the silvery blue on this one. I would like to add a few more next spring.
I had hoped to add photos of my Sweet Autumn clematis. Unfortunately, it looks like I may be losing it this year. It self seeded in an unfortunate place--a crack between the garage and the sidewalk. I imagine it has depleted the soil under the walkway. I hate to lose it. In late summer it transforms into a fairytail vine covered with small white stars and a heavenly scent that hangs in the air on warm evenings.

32 comments:

tina said...

I LOVE that Comtesse de Boucharde! So pretty! Maybe another sweet autumn will pop up somewhere better? Hope so.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous Clematis blooms! I love 'Comtesse De Bouchaude', her lilac blooms must really give that corner of your garage vertical interest when she's in full flush. That's a shame on your 'Sweet Autumn'. :( As rampant as she is, she is really something when she blooms.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Tina. Another SAC would be welcome. If the SWC I have fails, I guess I'll try sticking some morning glory seed in that crack:) The thing is, clematis is one of the few things not bothered by Japanese beetles. My morning glories are a mess of half eaten leaves.
Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Perennial Garden Lover, The Comtesse has done a wonderful job for me in a difficult place. I should have mentioned she is planted on the east side of the garage and on the north side of a lilac hedge. Very little sun, mostly high, open shade.
Marnie

Daisy said...

I need more sweet smelling things in bloom in autumn... I'm going to keep that Sweet Autumn in mind.

troutbirder said...

The clematis are just awesome. My sunny garden in the old house next door used to produce them too... now the shady house gardens in the woods next door is zilch for them. Oh well.

Dog_geek said...

Very nice! We have several very deep purple clematis, and a couple blue that look similar to your deep blue. I can't remember what either variety is called, though. I have a hard time getting mine to climb. Especially the purple ones seem to prefer latching on to themselves instead of the lattice work, and I am continually trying to untangle them and train them.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Daisy, just be sure to give sweet autumn lots of room. It is about 3 times the size of the Comtesse. They get really big.
Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Troutbirder, I know, sometimes we can't grow all the plants we would like because of shade, water, climate.
Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Dog geek. With some you have to keep after them almost every day. It's the only way to make them grow where you want them.
Marnie

Niels Plougmann said...

I simply love clematis in the blue to purple color range. Very few plants are so easy to grow and bloom that much!

100 Thoughts of Love said...

I love clematis...i don't really have a good place for it though. I do have confederate jasmine growing up my entryway..and when it blooms it smells like the most expensive prefume in the world!!

Rose said...

These are beautiful--I love the lavenders and blues. I really want to plant some more. I do hope you don't lose your "Sweet Autumn"; that is one that's on my wish list for next year.

A Wild Thing said...

Beautiful blue blossoms...my Autumn Clematis is just starting to bloom. Love it when it blooms, but it makes me sad to think the summer will soon be over when we see the fairy blooms.

sharon

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi Marnie,
I'm glad to see you have great success at growing lovely Clematis! We've tried several times and given up at this point. Maybe some day we'll discover the perfect spot for it and take on...

We've never had the Autumn Clematis, but some people around the neighborhood grow it (our long term plant is Wisteria) and it's a great plant. My sister had it going for a couple of years and she reports a story much like yours ... it did well for a couple of years and pooped out. I know little about it, myself, but sorry yours is not happy this year!

Oh well, all we gardeners are constant tinkerers, eh? Just keep trying and expect to fail usually produces higher than expected rewards!

beckie said...

Marnie, I can see why you love your Clematis. All are beautiful, but I really like the blue. I don't have any luck with them and only got one bloom off a very small struggling one. I have moved it a couple of times trying to find a good home for it. May try one more time. At least I can come here and see how they should look.

flydragon said...

Morning Marnie,
Gorgeous Comtesse. I have to get one of those!! Sorry about your Autumn. I have one but it hasn't started blooming yet. Hopefully in a week or so.

Roses and Lilacs said...

I am 100% sure, certain and positive I answered everyone's comments yesterday afternoon. So, where are they? If I had my camera, I would post a photo of 'woman with steam coming out of ears'.
Frustrating!
Marnie

tina said...

That would be a funny picture!

Roses and Lilacs said...

Pat, Confederate Jasmine would be a good substitute. You get the fragrance which most clematis don't have. Wish I could grow it here.

Niels, I agree. The blues and purples are wonderful combined with so many other colors in the garden. I want a purple to plant on my bird feeder post.

Rose, if you have room, you will love the SAC. The fragrance is heavenly and it can cover a fence or a porch in a couple seasons. Good for hiding things like potting sheds and fences.
Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Sharon, I know. Summer is almost past. I try not to be sad. I cheer myself up with the thought of no more mowing. Mowing is the bane of my existence:) Well, mowing and house cleaning. And working. Unfortunately cleaning and working aren't seasonal.

IVG, wisteria is lovely. That is more unique in this area. I don't know anyone who successfully grows it. You are lucky.

Beckie, that's too bad. Don't give up. Grab a couple cheapies at HD next spring and try again. Remember head in the sun, feet in the shade.

Flydradon, I'm glad your SAC is doing well. My Dad has one growing up his field stone chimney and onto the roof of his house. What a sight it is in bloom
Marnie

Anonymous said...

I don't know the names of your other two purple clematis either but they sure are gorgeous!!! What a shame about your Sweet Autumn Clematis ~ maybe another will pop up elsewhere??

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Kathleen. I know, gardening is full of failure. It's too late to do anything this year. Next year I will try to give it extra food. Maybe I can coax some more growth from it.
Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Tina. It is funny, now. A little while ago when I noticed my comments from yesterday were gone, I wasn't laughing:)

I know I've seen other bloggers post the same complaints. Some glitch in cyberspace I guess. I'm beginning to sound paranoid:0
Marnie

Amy said...

Those clematis are stunning! I hope your autumn clematis surprises you and manages to pull through.

Sherri said...

Tina,

Clematis' are one of my favorite vines! Thanks for sharing the wonderful pics!

marmee said...

i love anything purple in or out of the garden. your clematis look amazing! when we moved here a yr and some ago i left some very lovely deep purple and burgandy clematis there.boo-hoo! this year i planted 4 and none have done well but i fully expect next year to see some blossoming clematis in white and lavender.

Randy said...

We just purchases five very haggard discounted Clematis. I have no idea where I'm going to put them yet. I've never grown them before so I'm going to study up. I hope they do as well as your's when they recover from the neglect they've received.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Good morning.

Hi Amy, I'm hoping so too. I really, really hate to lose that SAC. It is perfect in that spot and would be very hard to replace.

Thanks Sherri, I agree, they are my favorite too.

Hi Marmee, I've heard a lot of people say their clematis don't do well the first, sometimes even second year. Then bang, they take off. Getting roots established I suppose. Good luck with yours. It will be worth the wait.

Randy and Jamie, good luck with yours too. I love to get a bargain that turns into a beautiful plant. My clematis do best with lots of mulch--I even placed a slab of field stone over the roots of one. First to protect those so tender stems from getting bumped and second to keep the root zone cool.
Marnie

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

I have a Comtesse that I planted last fall. As it is a Type 3 Clematis, I assumed it would bloom in midsummer, so I planted it with Madame Julia Correvon. Comtesse bloomed early & finished before Julia started. I thought maybe this was a new plant aberration, but if that's what yours does, I may have to do some creative pruning. To ID your other Clems, check out www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/. There's a photo search feature to help ID Clematis.

Roses and Lilacs said...

MMD, I've done the same thing. There is a Multi Blue planted with the Comtesse but you don't see it in that photo. It doesn't bloom at the same time.

Multi Blue isn't much of a plant--in my garden anyway. The Comtesse can swallow it up and I won't miss it.

I guess you would have to drive around your own town and make careful notes of what's blooming and when. That's the only way I can think of to get corresponding bloom.
Marnie

Gail said...

It is a beautiful draping plant when it's happy and when it's in the right spot! I need to find a place to plant it again...Once it flowers it is never gone! Seedlings pop up all over the place!