so there with you dathan, i could bring in a pergola with this strategy. he played his cards too openly when he told me they all looked alike,,,,,,
Hardwick Hall More Summer Blooms
CG, your latest clem pics and grapevine towers are, as usual, to die for. Love Blue Boy and Juuli, etc etc....
This picture doesn't belong in your thread, but I hope you don't mind me putting it here. I saw this at the botanic garden today and it made me think of you and all the creative ways you grow your clems. This is Mrs. Cholmondeley growing in a shade area. Just lit the place up. Breathtaking, growing up and through the crook of this tree. Took me completely by surprise.
edited to say: just saw your "creative clem supports" thread.... That's where I should have put this! too late now....
This message was edited Jul 7, 2009 8:04 PM
wicker parker, love this. chicago botanical garden? i could do a lot more with the trees. that is gorgeous.
we are in an interesting phase with the trees. as you probably know, all the ash trees in MI are dead or dying and all efforts to stop the emerald ash borer ( an immigrant insect from the orient ) have been in vain. now, that bug is taking out all the ashes in ohio. the infected trees are within a acre of us and it is a fait de accompli as far as probability. we have 17 large ash trees here on the hardwick hall property. since there is no longer a requirement that the infected trees be killed, as it does not help stop the insect's progress...., we have made a decision that we will top all the ash trees vs take them down as they become infected. in fact, i had two topped last fall to go ahead and create additional sunlight in one of the gardens .these were not key trees, some trees we will hold on to the top till the tree is dead.....but we are going to grow boston ivy, hydrangea and clems on the trunks of the ash trees as they have to be topped. we have started one some years ago, the guernsey cream totem (our slang for a topped dead tree trunk used to grow other plants).
so , long story short i have paced the boston ivy and hydrangea on many of the ashes to get them started in advance of what is to come. little galore is an example. i posted a photo earlier, it is planted with a hydrangea s, a dutchman's pipe and a couple of other clems on a large ash we went ahead and topped. by this fall all of the ashes will be planted at the base with the long term green foundation that will be a statement here in homage to the lost american ash and a design feature of the gardens. clems iwl follow over time planted outside the green foundation.
love your photo, love mrs chummie and all clems.......thanks for sharing......you are practically a neighbor, no? we need a conclave of illinois and ohio clemmers next year......sorry fr long post, but for those that understand the emerald ash borer and love clems hopefully of some value.
the emerald ash borer is in Illinois too... It's a terrible terrible pest. So sorry to hear it's so close to you. But talk about making lemonade! Sounds like a wonderful plan.
The tree in that pic is actually an apple tree, I now notice. (Yes, the Chicago Botanic Garden.) I've thought about growing a clem up our pear tree, but decided against it because the fruit is such a magnet for squirrels -- they're up and down that trunk a million times a day. Can only imagine what they'd do to a clem.
I remember your guernsey cream totem -- gorgeous!
wickerparker, i am sure a pear tree magnet for insects too. love the look.... however will use the hydrangea and boston ivy to start the green totems and then add the clems on the outside about 2 years later as that settles in. the galore was a rushed addition to one of them that is so far a home run. maybe all of them will have guernsey cream or galore on them too!
need to get down to the chi botanic gardens, but have not been to the columbus gardens yet so have to do that.
tour de france is creating all this forum time..we are big fans and watch the nightly recap thru july. if lance were a clem he would be a ssv galore!!!!!!!!
After a week out of the garden, just spent 2 days pruning.
Will start posting Hardwick hall late summer blooms in a few weeks when we are into he next wave of Clem glory. Weather has been cool so far from mid july, all summer really.
Nt sure how august
will be or what to except in this weird weather year.......easy to let down on deep watering this time of year, your clems will thank you if keep it up !!!!!
CG, you mentioned on a July 7th post that Royal Velours was darker than Negritianka and from the picture it sure does look that way. Isn't Royal Velours supposed to be a more reddish/purplish/burgundy color instead of a deep purplish/black? I love the color and would love to get one, but have you noticed further bloom color is as deep? Is this normal??
hello there. not sure. mine was that dark, photo was tru. but it is the first year of bloooms for the royal velours and it is always good to wait till the next round or next year before jumping to conclusions. i think the y plant stopped blooming the last few weeks, but will make sure tomorrow when i am out there to check. if there are new blooms i will assess and let you know. however, color aside, there was a thick velvety texture to the sepals that seemed very luxurious and nice. i like the clem and it has done well since i planted it out. i think it will be a great clem.
i returned to the garden today after 5 days out. we have had torrential , soaking rains, off and on most of the day, but luckily no wind or really damaging weather. we also had all day rain wed while i was away, so safe to say we are saturated and need to dry out.
hope tomorrow the dry out begins and i can asses everybody and get on with the seasonal chores such as deadheading, fertilizing, planning....pruning is mostly finished as of last weekend, but there is lots to do and i will post details of anything interesting.
Good to know about Royal Velours coming along well. I was just thinking that Negritianka was turning out to be one of the darkest, when along came this picture of RV. Also, please post any pictures/comments/observations regarding Juuli and Arabella. I am really smitten by these integrifolias and also the viticellas. Wished I had stumbled upon all of them earlier this season...Anyway, we have had a day of off again/on again torrential rains here as well and weather has been really mild this week. I know you have mentioned in the past you do better with spring vs fall planting of clems and with the milder, rainier than usual weather I think all my "late" plantings are off to a good start. Have another order coming from SSV this week..I hate to not plant a "few more" integrifolias and viticellas...if I do it this week and keep up with them, do you think they will be ok?
I've just received Juuli and would love to know more, too. The SSV website says it needs full sun. Has that been your experience, too, CG? Do you think I can get away with anything less than full sun?
Certainly hope you dry out tomorrow and can enjoy a day in the garden.
punkysmawma, yes..it depends on the watering and care. success should be the same if the care is equal to the season. many folks lose garden interest and pull back from plant care in late summer due to being burnt out with it, heat and bugs making it unpleasant, vacations etc. this effects us all to a certain extent. this is the first summer i have felt like i wanted to plant at this time of the year (in fact planted 7 clems last weekend). our summer here has been a tad cooler too.
wickerparker,my julli is in full sun, or virtually full sun. i think mine is still blooming, may take a pic today if so.
i would give it more sun than some, but i am sure as with most all clems it can take a few less hours than some annuals would.
have been out there picking lilles this morning and arranging them but getting ready to hit the garden chores hard. sunny rain is gone. whew, we had a lot yesterday.
WP, my Juuli is in less than full sun as well. Just planted it this week and am going to really rethink that. It does get strong morning sun to its base and stays in full sun until about 1:00 or so.
punkysmawma, maybe see how it does next year and move it if it is not a superstar. if you got yours from ssv like i did, we can come pare to where mine is now in growth?
i have never had a clem have more blooms the year it was put into the ground than this one (juuli from ssv)
Wow, that is good to know. Yes, it is an SSV plant, loved it so much after seeing your pictures of it, and wanted something a little lower growing at the base of an 5+ year old Comptesse deB. She is growing in the corner of a fence and I put Juuli on the outside of the fence and over a little. Am getting Barbara H to grow next to CdeB and wanted Juuli in front of the fence (in front of CdeB and Barbara H). Am thinking on getting another one or two of Juuli to make a really big display...I am looking out the window at it now and it is still getting full sun. I will check today to ensure that it is indeed getting a good 6+ hours. Would love to compare plants...Nancy
when opportunity presents i will probably get more juuli too. it is amazing and woud be a great fron tof border clem to invest in to make a smashing display.
mine is still blooming , have ben outside for awhile doodling around. it is blooming and sir trevor lawrence is blooming with it . very nice combo. mrs t lundell blooming near by, but for the most part the clems look so bloomed out and water logged it is just that time of the year......
Oh CG, hope you can post a pic of that Juuli/Sir Trevor L. combo. That sounds lovely. When you say front of border, would you support it, or let it sprawl...???
Punkysmamaw, hope you'll post pictures of yours when you get blooms and keep us posted on it.
Sigh. I lost track of this thread for a while, and just read through it all. I am swooning over that Vienetta picture. I've never seen that one before!
Such lovely blooms! I have such a soft spot for clematis, and I've learned so much on this forum!
Angie
will do.
front of border i would support on small 2 ft fencing or a 4 ft tuteur, or could let it sprawl thru companion plant or small shrub.