Two More Clematis

[Rebecca]

are finally blooming! Dr. Rupple is just about done and in serious need of a good pruning!

'Polish Spirit' has been blooming for about a week now and 'Rouge Cardinal' opened yesterday. There's been a bud on 'Gypsy Princess' trying to open for over a week now with hardly any change, although it was a bit more developed today.

PS had out grown and over grown it's support and I was pushed into trimming a section of it off so the White Tiger Lilies would get some sun on them. PS is absolutely covered with buds, on both sides of the arch! There are a lot of open blooms on the NW side and only a few on the SW side. Here's an image of a portion of the NW side:

[Rebecca]

Here's 'Polish Spirit', up close and personal:

[Rebecca]

Yep, those are (some of my) Daylilies in the background of the previous image!

This is one of the best images I have as of yesterday of 'Rouge Cardinal', I have new images on the memory card, still in the camera and may have an even better shot to share later.

RC needs more support than it is getting on this arch, I need to add more cross pieces, but haven't had any materials to use, yet. The Mulberry trees will be getting trimmed up before long and I will save pieces (striped down) for that purpose.

I also noticed new buds forming on one of the two new Clematis I got a few weeks ago, don't know which one it is though.

Here's 'Rouge Cardinal'

[vicki]

More pretties! Thank you! I thought all mine died so was surprised to see this. No flowers but hey it's growing. Ernest Markham

[Rebecca]

Something has gone amok with my 'Gypsy Princess', it's starting to die back! Don't know what's up with that. I cut it back to healthy growth and will just have to wait and see what happens.

'Nelly Mosier has most of it's blooms near the top of the arbor, even though I cut it back this spring, but it did have one low enough I was able to capture an image, it just isn't a very good bloom.

'Polish Spirit' is awesome and 'Rouge Cardinal' has huge blooms this year. I'll show "whole plant" images on separate postings.

[Rebecca]

This is the side that faces the house:

[Rebecca]

I told you it's blooms were huge!

[Rebecca]

This bloom was on the opposite side, facing East:

[sue salley]

Oh Rebecca, that Rouge Cardinal looks like velvet. Is the Polish Spirit as blue as it looks. I must have one.
I haven't had much luck with clematis but I planted one last spring and forgot it until I was cleaning out my front bed and there it was, 1 hugh bloom, looks like Nellie Moser. I cleaned out around it and gave it a trellis. Hopefully it will do well. I have a red one to plant now, but that polish spirit is the prettiest I've ever seen.
I have tried them from seed with only limited success. Any tips?

[Ann B.]

Sue,

I peaked earlier today when it wasn't raining so hard. The bloom has gotten larger, but it hadn't opened yet. I couldn't take a picture because it hasn't stopped msiting or raining all day.

It will be neat if it waits until tomorrow to bloom. This time, I would like to observe how long it takes the seed pod to form.

I think I have three plants, maybe more. I overwintered them on the patio. I haven't tried to take cuttings yet. The vines are rather fragile, and the leaves are large in comparison. I have a feeling that this is one that is easier to grow from seeds.

[Rebecca]

This is a bonus bloom I was gifted with for buying this mistreated plant from "that place". It's a lot more lavender than the original blooms, so it may yet fade off to white.
Enjoy!

Oh, BTW and before I forget again, POLISH SPIRIT is actually a deep, deep purple, don't know why it looks so blue in that image.


Rebecca

[Rebecca]

Here's another view of this velvety beauty: