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| Virgin's Bower Clematis (Clematis virginiana) |
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| About a third of the vine is covered with these star flowers and I am quite happy with the result. |
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| In the autumn, these flowers will turn into whispy, silky seed heads - adding more interest to the garden. |
Planted two years ago, I'm now able to enjoy flowers in nearly complete shade. This is more than I expected. Last year, leafy and leggy growth dominated the entire corner of my fence, with no bloom. This past spring, I cut back the vine hard - to 2 feet. Removing over 2/3rds its mass. I trained it here and there, so its growth was spread evenly and then cut again in early June - tipping back the long leafy stems to a more manageable length.
In full sun and with rich soil, this clematis grows wild. It's known to be invasive. In my situation, it's quite manageable and happily situated. Even the neighbour enjoys the stems poking through to their side.
Next, I will attempt to grow some spring flowering Alpina varieties of clematis. See how they fair.
