Clematis, often called the "Queen of Climbers," is one of the most elegant and spectacular flowering vines in the garden. It brings exceptional beauty to trellises, arbors, pergolas, and posts, covering them with an abundance of star-shaped blooms in shades of pink, white, blue, purple, red, and striking bicolors.
I have always loved clematis, and over the years I've grown many varieties of this remarkable vine. When I purchased my farm I built a long, winding pergola supported by antique granite uprights, where I could grow lots of clematis. Over time, I've continued adding new varieties. I've also planted them to climb some of the surrounding trees. Beginning in late spring, the vines burst into bloom, producing a magnificent display that continues throughout the summer.
Enjoy these photos.
Each pair of posts under my long pergola supports the same variety of clematis, but over the years, I’ve added others all in the same palette of colors – shades of pink, purple, white, and blue.
Clematis is a genus of about 300-species within the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. The name Clematis comes from the Greek word “klematis,” meaning vine.
Depending on the species, clematis can start blooming anywhere from late winter to early spring and then continue flowering through the summer and into early fall.
Most clematis leaves are pinnately compound and heart-shaped with a smooth to coarsely toothed margin. They also feature a pointed tip and a shallowly lobed cleft at the petiole.
Clematis is also known as 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 similar to an old man’s beard.
Clematis are native to China and Japan and are known to be vigorous, woody climbers.
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.
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.
Some clematis cultivars will bloom in partial shade, but to really thrive, they need at least six-hours of sun each day. Just think, “head in the sun, feet in the shade.” The vines like sun, but cool, moist soil.
The soil should also be loose and neutral in pH. I enrich my soil with compost regularly.
And be mindful where it is planted. The clematis plant is toxic to people, dogs, cats, and horses and can cause skin irritation in humans.
Some of the clematis varieties grown here include ‘Parisienne,’ ‘Blue Angel,’ ‘Jackmanii,’ ‘Sapphire Indigo,’ ‘Arabella,’ ‘Contessa de Bouchard,’ and ‘Eyers Gift.’
This is Clematis viticella ‘Betty Corning’, which has slightly fragrant, bell-shaped flowers that bloom from summer to fall.
Here is a similar variety in pinkish purple.
And here’s one that’s even darker purple.
Yesterday, I planted a couple more clematis to fill in some areas. This is another viticella ‘Betty Corning.’ This is from Glover Perennials in Cutchogue, New York – a family owned and operated wholesale nursery I’ve been going to for many years.
And this is Clematis ‘Silver Moon.’ This plant is not blooming now, but it features large, silvery-lilac flowers that are six to seven inches across.
Copper wire is wrapped around each post, so the climbing tendrils of the clematis vines could attach easily. 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.
Clematis can also be grown in containers, And they can be trained and used to cover walls and fences, providing year-round floral interest.
Across the carriage road from my pergola, I also have some clematis vines planted at the base of several bald cypress trees. On these trees, I used twine to secure the climbing vines.
Clematis are generally not hard to maintain. They are surprisingly tough and can cope with hard pruning. If you don’t already have clematis plants in your garden, pick one up and plant it – you’ll love it as much as I love all of mine.
Bright, beautiful dahlias are beginning to bloom in my garden.
Dahlias start to come into their own around this time, producing an abundance of spectacular blooms that continue until the first frost. My dahlia garden is tucked behind my vegetable greenhouse, where the plants are exposed to full sun and shelter from strong winds. However, as the plants grow taller, their hollow stems need support to keep the blossoms upright. My crew carefully stakes the plants every year using wood and jute twine, ensuring the flowers remain strong, healthy, and beautiful throughout the season.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Well-maintained plants will never disappoint -here are two of the first dahlias to bloom this season. Dahlias grow more blooms when they get at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day.
Currently, there are more than 40 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. A member of the Asteraceae family of dicotyledonous plants, some of its relatives include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia.
The majority of dahlia species do not produce scented flowers or cultivars, but they are brightly colored to attract pollinating insects.
The genus Dahlia is native to the high plains of Mexico. Some species can be found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Costa Rica as well as parts of South America where it was introduced.
Dahlia leaves are divided into leaflets that range from ovate and oblong to lanceolate in shape. Their margins may be lobed or toothed. Depending on the variety, the foliage can be green, reddish-purple, or nearly black-purple.
Most of these dahlia plants are about knee to waist high already – some even taller. It’s important to make sure they are properly supported as they grow, especially those that produce larger, heavier blooms.
Matthew starts by placing stakes along the garden edge, so they are ready to access and install.
Then he pounds in strong stakes one by one about a foot deep along the plant rows.
Matthew secures a lower length of twine on the stake making a gap in between two strands for the plant stems.
Jute twine is a good choice for staking plants because it combines softness, strength, and biodegradability while being environmentally friendly. I use jute twine for many garden projects around the farm.
This is what it looks like from above. It’s ideal to have the gap in between the strands, so stems are not crushed.
Matthew secures another length of twine about a foot and a half higher on the stake. This gives growing plants support from two places.
The twine is positioned to gently hold the stems up as they lean.
Here are several plants now well-supported.
The stakes and twine are positioned in rows, so flowers are still easy to reach when cut.
Dahlias are classified according to flower shape and petal arrangement.
They range from a charming single, daisy-like flower to the popular double varieties which can be two-inch-pompons to 12-inch dinner plate size. They are divided into 10 groups: single, anemone, collarette, waterlily, decorative, fall, pompon, cactus, semi-cactus, and miscellaneous.
Here is the back of the same bloom.
Dahlias are named after 18th-century Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. He actually categorized dahlias as a vegetable because of their edible tubers. The tubers are said to taste like a mix between potatoes and radishes.
This area was once used for growing grapes. Now, it’s proven excellent for growing dahlias. I am looking forward to seeing more and more of the gorgeous blooms in the weeks ahead.
Dahlias are one of the most rewarding plants to grow in the garden because they are easy to care for, have so many different colors and forms, and have long-lasting blooms.
Maintaining and caring for the many trees here at my farm is so important. My mature grove of American and European beech trees, Fagus grandifolia and Fagus sylvatica, and some of the other beeches on the property, are now part of a treatment program designed to help them stay healthy and continue to thrive.
A few years ago, I noticed something was wrong with my beech trees. They did not look as vibrant or as full as they once had. Unfortunately, beech leaf disease is a serious and rapidly spreading condition affecting beeches across much of the eastern United States and Ontario. It is caused by the invasive nematode Litylenchus crenatae mccannii, which can severely damage and, in some cases, kill the trees. To help, I called on Bartlett Tree Experts to evaluate the trees and begin treatment. I am hopeful these magnificent beeches will remain strong and beautiful for many more years.
Enjoy these photos.
The beech tree is considered both a shade tree and an ornamental tree. They can grow to a height of 50 to 70 feet and a spread of around 40 feet at maturity. This is my beech tree grove in the spring of 2020 when the trees were lush and bold in color.
This is an autumn photo of my beech tree grove. These beech trees show gorgeous golden-bronze fall foliage. The leaves persist into winter, after turning a pleasing tan color.
Here’s another photo showing the trees just beginning to change. This grove is located just east of my long Boxwood Allée. Guests always comment on their color and form.
In more recent years, I noticed they didn’t look as lush. I also knew of the beech leaf disease that is killing both mature beeches and saplings. These are my trees now – dull in color and with less growth.
The disease, which was first spotted in northeastern Ohio, causes parts of leaves to turn leathery and branches to wither and then kill a tree within six to 10 years. I definitely needed to help my trees and make sure these beautiful specimens survived.
Here is healthy new growth – the leaves are flat and glossy green.
Held up to the sunlight, diseased leaves show dark bands. It typically progresses from the lower canopy upward.
An invasive nematode is believed to be responsible for beech leaf disease. These microscopic worms are present in the leaves and buds of infected beech trees.
Bartlett Tree Experts was founded by Francis A. Bartlett in 1907 and is the world’s leading scientific tree and shrub care company with more than 125 offices worldwide. The Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories evaluates plant samples and cultures, identifies disease-causing organisms and insects, and performs complete soil analysis services.
A team of Bartlett’s expert arborists came to asses my trees and create a specific treatment program. On this day, they are ready to inject the trees.
The Bartlett service truck is equipped with all the necessary solutions for treating a variety of tree issues.
The program utilizes a macro injection treatment plan to help reduce the foliar-feeding nematode populations and minimize migration into developing vegetative buds. Research shows that one injection application can suppress the leaf disease for at least two seasons.
The solution is injected into the root system through small hoses.
My farm got some good rain during the week before this application, so the uptake is faster than usual – the soil is already well hydrated.
The team is able to do several trees at once, keeping a close eye on all the systems.
Here is a view of a tree going through its injection treatment. This process takes about an hour per tree.
And here is another tree going through the same process. The uptake distributes the solution throughout the trunk and canopy and then to the leaf structures.
The injection plugs are not big. They are pushed into the soil less than an inch deep.
And program timing is crucial to catch the nematodes at the best stage of life development for significant suppression. It’s important to use the macro root flare injection program by mid-summer. If timing is missed, it’s advised to wait until the following season.
I do my very best to take care of all my trees – feeding them regularly and providing nutrient-rich soil. I’m hopeful this, along with the Bartlett macro root flare injection program, will help my affected beech trees heal and thrive here at the farm. If you’re unsure about the beech trees in your yard, look for the Bartlett Tree Experts.
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