Clematis are among the most decorative and spectacular of all the flowering vines, and mine are blooming so beautifully this season.
I have always loved clematis, and over the years I have grown many varieties of this wonderful 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 clematis. After the pergola was constructed, I concentrated on creating a palette of blue-flowering cultivars, and each year the floral display gets better and better.
Enjoy these photos.
There are several different varieties of clematis planted along my winding pergola, but each pair of posts supports the same kind.
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 is a genus of about 300-species within the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. The name Clematis comes from the Greek word “klematis,” meaning vine.
Clematis are native to China and Japan and are known to be vigorous, woody, climbers.
Clematis leaves grow in pairs along the stems. The clematis leaf shapes vary with different varieties, but knowing how they grow can help differentiate them from other vines.
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 similar to an old man’s beard.
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.
For this area, I chose various shades of purple, blue and lavender.
Some of the flowers are very light colored – almost white – with interesting centers.
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.
Once established, clematis should be watered about an inch or so weekly, and more deeply during dry spells.
Some of the cultivars grown here include ‘Parisienne,’ ‘Blue Angel,’ ‘Jackmanii,’ and ‘Eyers Gift.’
Known as the “Queen of the Climbers”, Clematis plants will train onto trellises and fences, or arch gracefully over doorways.
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. Clematis also prefer soil that’s neutral to slightly alkaline in pH.
This is Clematis viticella ‘Betty Corning’, which has slightly fragrant, bell-shaped flowers that bloom from summer to fall.
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.
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, we used jute twine to secure the climbing vines.
It is important to understand how each variety blooms in order to properly prune them. They 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.
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. The blooms appear constantly for many weeks making their everblooming nature a must-have in any garden.
What are your favorite clematis varieties? If you don’t already have clematis in your garden, I hope this inspires you plant one, or two, or three…
I love this time of year when I can walk through my flower gardens and see all the wonderful blooms. Everything looks so amazing this season, especially the roses.
As many of you know, I adore roses and have grown them for more than 25-years. Many of the rose cultivars growing at my Bedford, New York farm were transplanted from the gardens at Lily Pond, my home in East Hampton. I also have various David Austin roses and a selection from Northland Rosarium - all highly prized for their lovely petal formations and beautiful fragrances.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
I have lots and lots of roses at the farm. Many are growing along all four sides of my perennial flower cutting garden fence – some are climbing and spilling over the sides.
A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae. There are more than a hundred species and thousands of cultivars.
Roses come in many different colors, such as pink, peach, white, red, magenta, yellow, copper, vermilion, purple, and apricot.
Rose stems are often armed with sharp prickles – they aren’t thorns at all. Unlike a thorn, a prickle can be easily broken off the plant because it is really a feature of the outer layers rather than part of the wood, like a thorn. These roses are deep red with delicate ruffled petals.
Many of these roses are old fashioned and antique varieties. They include: ‘Alchymist’, ‘Boule de Neige’, ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’, ‘Charles de Mills’, ‘Constance Spry’, ‘Dainty Bess’, ‘Pierre de Ronsard’, ‘Ferdinand Pichard’, Konigin von Danemark’, Louise Odier’, Madame Alfred Carriere’, ‘the Reeve’, ‘Pearlie Mae’, and ‘Sweet Juliet’.
I’ve also added roses from Northland Rosarium, including ‘Night Owl’, Poseidon’, ‘Quick Silver’, ‘Colette’, ‘Cecile Brunner’, ‘Ebb Tide’, ‘Jeannie Lajoie’, Lykkefund’, ‘Veilchenblau’, and ‘Geschwind’s Most Beautiful’.
I love this beautiful apricot-colored climbing rose. Some of the newer roses added to the garden include a selection from David Austin – ‘Abraham Darby’, Graham Thomas’, ‘Heritage’, ‘Lady of Shallot’, ‘Golden Celebration’, ‘Snow Goose’, ‘St. Swithun’, ‘Benjamin Britten’, ‘Brother Cadfael’, ‘James Galway’, ’Teasing Georgia’, ‘The Generous Gardener’, ‘Wolverton Old Hall’, ‘Malvern Hills’, and ‘Jude the Obscure’.
When selecting a location, plant roses in a sunny spot with good drainage. Fertilize them regularly and water them evenly to keep the soil moist.
The flowers of most rose species have at least five petals. Each petal is divided into two distinct lobes and is usually white or pink.
Rose plants range in size from compact, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach several feet in height.
Look at this vigorous and prolific climber.
Climbers always do best when well supported by a trellis or fence – one that is the appropriate height, width, and strength for the climber. And always consider plants at maturity. The support should be strong enough to hold the weight of a full-grown rose plant in both wet and windy weather.
When watering roses, give them the equivalent to one-inch of rainfall per week during the growing season. Water at the soil level to avoid getting the foliage wet. Wet leaves encourage diseases such as black spot and powdery mildew.
This rose is a lovely white variety. It has full-petalled, rosette-shaped flowers with a button eye and a strong fragrance.
And here is one in very light pink. The best way to prevent rose diseases is to choose disease-resistant varieties. Many roses are bred and selected to resist the most common rose problems.
I also have roses at the center of my flower cutting garden growing over the footpath. Rose bushes need six to eight hours of sunlight daily. In hot climates, roses do best when they are protected from the hot afternoon sun. In cold climates, planting a rose bush next to a south or west-facing fence or wall can help minimize winter freeze damage.
I also have a large collection planted along both sides of my lilac allee, just past my chicken coops and vegetable garden. During late spring and summer, this area is filled with various shades of pink, fragrant rose blooms.
To produce an impressive show of flowers, always use nutrient-rich compost, composted manure, and other organic and natural fertilizers, such as fish emulsion. Organic amendments also help to encourage beneficial soil microbes and a well-balanced soil pH.
The flat bloom is just as it sounds, with petals generally flaring out.
Single blooms are fully opened and almost flat, consisting of one to seven petals per bloom.
And some blooms are very full with many petals in at least three or more rows. Among my favorites is the swirled ‘Variegata di Bologna’ with its large, cupped flowers and petals of creamy white cleanly striped with purple crimson. It is one of the most striking of the striped roses providing a fantastic display in any garden.
Nearby is this bold salmon colored rose. Rose leaves are borne alternately on the stem. In most species, they are about two to five inches long, pinnate, with at least three leaflets and basal stipules. The leaflets also usually have a serrated margin.
And look at these beautiful roses. It is one of my favorite climbing varieties – Rosa ‘Veilchenblau’ – a mauve hybrid multiflora rose cultivar and the best known violet rambler. Other names are ‘Bleu-Violet’, ‘Blue Rambler’, ‘Blue Rosalie’ and ‘Violet Blue’. The cultivar was bred by Hermann Kiese in Germany in 1909.
These Veilchenblau roses are stunning on my long pergola – so very fragrant. If properly cared for, a rose bush should live for about 30-years or more. I am so happy my roses are thriving.
Before all those fun summertime gatherings, it’s always a good idea to take stock of any outdoor furniture that may need repairing or restoring.
Whenever I get the chance, I often enjoy shopping at antiques shops or tag sales - one never knows what one will find. Earlier this year, I purchased a vintage outdoor living set at a neighborhood estates sale. It was a bit timeworn and painted black, but I knew with a little restoration work and a fresh coat of color, the pieces would look fantastic. I enlisted the help of Patty DeFelice, owner of Patty's Portico: Outdoor Furniture Restoration & Powder Coating - a family inspired business that has been serving the New York City area for more than 25-years. Patty and her team stripped the furniture all the way down to the metal, removed any rust that had developed, covered everything with a zinc-rich primer, and then powder coated each piece using electrostatic application methods.
Here are some photos and a short video, enjoy.
Back in early January, I spotted this set of metal outdoor furniture at a neighborhood estate sale. It was in excellent condition and I knew it would look great on my terrace at my Bedford, New York farm.
A few months later, I took the furniture to Patty’s Portico: Outdoor Furniture Restoration & Powder Coating. Patty DeFelice started the business after working for her dad at his automotive repair shop. What started out as a short term job ended up to be a 30-year stay. During this time, she learned how to fix and paint cars. At one point, a customer asked if she could cover some furniture using automative paint, and in her search to find the safest and most effective methods, turned to powder coating. Patty attended seminars and studied the best ways to apply it and use it on all types of furniture. After 10 more years at her dad’s automotive shop, she opened Patty’s Portico.
The furniture I purchased was vintage mid-century modern in design. It would need stripping and priming before it would be ready to powder coat with my signature “Bedford Gray.” The entire job was expected to take several weeks.
I also brought Patty some other items including a couple of old metal baker’s table bases. These pieces would go through the same process.
The first step is to strip all the original paint down to the bare metal by sandblasting. Sandblasting is an operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive material against a surface under high pressure to smooth a rough surface, roughen a smooth surface, shape a surface or remove any surface coverings or contaminants.
To completely strip this chair and ottoman takes at least an hour-and-a-half – and there were a lot of pieces to do.
Here is the old metal baker’s table base completely stripped down to the metal – it looks like new.
Next, the furniture is brought into a special spraying booth where the pieces are coated with zinc-rich primer. The zinc-rich coating provides corrosion resistance and adds to the durability of the furniture. The primer is delivered through a vibrating machine and hose and then carried through the nozzle with electrostatic charge. This process takes about 15-minutes per piece.
The primer is left to dry and then it’s time to powder coat. Powder coating is applied as dry powder through an electrostatic process, then cured with heat. It can be used on different surfaces, including metal, concrete and steel, Here, one can see the dark primed areas getting powder coated with color – “Bedford Gray.”
Below is a short video of how evenly and carefully the powder coating is applied. This step also takes about 15-minutes per coat.
Here is one of the ottomans nearly finished.
Next, the items are placed into a large oven where they are baked for about 15-minutes at 375-degrees Fahrenheit. This is crucial because it is the heat that gives it its durability.
Fortunately, Patty’s oven is 10-feet long, so several pieces can be baked at a time.
Here is the old baker’s table base going into the oven along with the chairs.
Once the pieces are cured, they are removed from the oven and left to dry and cool completely.
And here is the sofa – all done and back at the farm. It looks so great all restored and powder coated.
Here are the two chairs with their matching ottomans. I decided to place the entire set on one side of the gravel courtyard behind my Winter House Kitchen. It’s perfect for this space.
Everything looks brand new.
Here is a wider view of the newly restored furniture. On the right is one of my antique sugar kettles. Sugar kettles were used on 19th century Louisiana plantations for the production of sugar. Sugar cane was placed in the large, spherical vessels and cooked down to make syrup. Because they could withstand such high heat, they were also used for cooking. I use them as fire pits. They make instant and effective fire pits, and can be moved to different locations. I am looking forward to lots of entertaining here this summer. For more information, please visit Patty’s web site at pattysportico.com.
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