A couple of years ago, perusing the greenhouses at
Rocky Mountain Trees and Landscaping, I came across a couple of bushing Clematis in the bargain bin. Tempted only by the fact that they had survived a winter in a one gallon container in the RMTL yard, I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Why not give it a try?". For a couple of years this plant did nothing but leaf out and just when I thought it may bloom, fall would come and nip it in the bud (quite literally). I thought, 'Is this plant ever going to do anything?' But this year, lo and behold, it has bloomed. And early in the season, even.
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| Worth the wait--Clematis |
I have seen people struggle with the climbing vine variety around here and have yet to see one that looks truly vigorous, but this subshrub variety has come back year after year in my garden in a location that gets light sun in the morning, full sun mid-day, and filtered sun in the afternoon. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials describes these varieties as "not as showy as some of the woody-vined large-flowered hybrids, but they have a subtle, restrained beauty." I concur; these may not be a show-stopper, but upon a closer look their delicacy and the intricacy of their petals is unparalleled in the garden.
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| Clematis-nestled in front of a Peking Cotoneaster |
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