Monday, June 11, 2007

Clematis




We've never had much luck in growing Clematis. This is the third year this unknown variety is in the ground. It produced only two flowers last year and only three so far this year.

I like the seedpod pinwheels as much as the flower!

3 comments:

DeeMom said...

This is our 3rd or 4th year on Clematis. It is doing better this year, so far. They the clematis do not like wet feet. So maybe a ground cover over the roots will help keep moisture ~ NOT WET in the root system. Clematis have a reputation for being difficult to grow, however, like any other plant, if their needs can be met by the site and proper care, they will thrive. The site should be open enough to allow for air movement around the plants. Soil should be rich and well draining with a pH close to neutral (7.0). Though the plant's stems and foliage should be in sun, the roots like a cool, moist environment. With the exception of C. montana, clematis do not compete well with large tree roots. Most clematis will require staking so the twining leaf petioles can cling and climb upward.

David (Snappy) said...

I love Clematis.The British love growing clematis growing up fences, and on walls.The pin wheel is a great photo.
Glad you photographed the plantain flowers too.I thought i was the only gardener who photographed weeds like Dandelions, daisys, white clover, and buttercups.They have inherant beauty and they are found growing wild.
The buttercups here are lovely too with a shiny yellow sheen, in the golden cups.I love those flowers.

Ki said...

Hi deemom,
Thank you for the tips on growing Clematis. I did hear that they like a neutral to alkaline soil and we have acid soil so I added some lime but there was no change. Our neighbor across the street has a huge vine climbing her mailbox and it's usually covered with blossoms. Go figure. Same soil and she's even more neglectful of the plant than we are.

Hi Snappy,
Clematis are great looking flowers if we can get them to grow. We also have a C. paniculata, syn. C.terniflora that's just the opposite of the one pictured. We can't control the growth on that one. It climbed a bank of logs 5 feet high and over some shrubs and finally about 6 feet up the Atlas cedar! Luckily it's covered with masses of small white flowers so we tolerate the rampant growth.
I find that since I've been taking macros, I look much more carefully at the structure of flowers, wild or cultivated. I agree that wild plants and weeds have a beauty that's under appreciated.

The buttercup flowers almost look plastic because of the sheen. But because they are small the sheen makes them all the more charming and unique imo. Glad you liked the photos and thanks for the comment.