My Blooming Clematis
The clematis is blooming so beautifully this season.
I've always loved these flowering vines, and over the years I have grown many varieties of this lovely plant. When I purchased my Bedford, New York farm, I knew I wanted to build a long, winding pergola, where I could grow lots of beautiful clematis. After the pergola was constructed, I concentrated on creating a palette of blue-flowering cultivars. Each year, the floral display gets better and better. This summer, the blooms are just spectacular - every post is wrapped in sparkling shades of lavender, blue and purple.
Enjoy these photos.
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- There are several different varieties of clematis planted along my winding pergola, but each pair of posts supports the same kind. On the outside of the pergola are the tall stems of the lilies that will soon be bursting with bold orange color.
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- Clematis is a genus of about 300-species within the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. The name Clematis comes from the Greek word “klematis,” meaning vine.
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- Clematis, pronounced KLEM-uh-tis, are native to China and Japan and known to be vigorous growers.
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- Most species are called clematis, but it has also been called traveller’s joy, virgin’s bower, leather flower, or vase vine. It’s also been called “Old Man’s Beard,” because of the long fluffy seed heads that look like an old man’s beard.
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- The standard clematis flower has six or seven petals, measuring five to six inches across. Colors range from lavender to deep purple, white to wine red, and even a few in yellow.
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- For this area, I chose various shades of purple, blue and lavender.
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- Some of the flowers are very light – almost white – with interesting colored centers.
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- Many clematis are lightly scented. Flowers vary in shape and sizes. They can be flat, tubular or bell-shaped and can be as small as one-inch wide.
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- The uprights for this pergola are antique granite posts from China originally used as grape supports. They’re perfect as posts because they don’t rot over time like wood does. A friend of mine acquired a lot of stone from this valley and I purchased a couple hundred of these posts. I only wish I had bought more of them.
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- Steel wire is wrapped around each post, so the climbing tendrils of the clematis vines could attach easily.
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- Known as the “Queen of the Climbers”, Clematis plants will train onto trellises and fences, or arch gracefully over doorways.
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- Some clematis cultivars will bloom in partial shade, but to really thrive, they need at least six-hours of sun each day.
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- This is Clematis ‘Blue Ravine’ – brilliantly colored soft violet blooms with leathery-textured foliage.
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- Once established, clematis should be watered about an inch or so weekly, and more deeply during dry spells.
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- Some of the other cultivars grown here include “Blue Angel’, ‘Jackmanii’, ‘Parisienne’, and ‘Eyers Gift’.
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- Clematis prefer moist, well-drained soil that’s neutral to slightly alkaline in pH.
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- If your soil tends to be acidic, sweeten it periodically with limestone or a little wood ash.
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- The roots of clematis should be kept shaded to keep them cool and moist. This can be done using low growing plants or with two to three inches of mulch around the base of the plant to help retain the soil moisture.
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- This is clematis viticella ‘Betty Corning’, which has slightly fragrant, bell-shaped flowers that bloom from summer to fall.
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- It typically grows to six-feet tall and features single, nodding, pale lilac flowers with recurved tips. ‘Betty Corning’ was first discovered growing in Albany, New York in 1932.
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- The timing and location of clematis flowers varies – spring blooming clematis flower on side shoots of the old season’s stems. Summer and fall blooming vines flower on the ends of only new stems.
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- It is important to understand how each cultivar blooms in order to properly prune them. Every variety should be cut back to about four or five-inches from the ground in late winter or early spring the first year after it is planted – to promote a bushier, stronger, tighter growth habit.
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- Across from my undulating pergola, at the base of my bald cypress trees, we’ve planted more clematis.
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- We used twine to support these climbing vines against the trunks of these handsome trees.
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- Clematis plants are also heavy feeders and benefit from a low nitrogen fertilizer such as 5-10-10 in spring, when the buds are about two-inches long. Alternate feedings every four to six weeks with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer and then continue this alternate feeding until the end of the growing season.
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- It can take several years for a clematis vine to mature and begin flowering prolifically. To shorten the wait, purchase a plant that’s at least two-years old.
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- The blooms appear constantly for many weeks making their everblooming nature a must-have in any garden.
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- Every year, these clematis vines look more and more beautiful. If you don’t already have clematis in your garden, I hope this inspires you plant one or two or three…
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