Category: Clematis

Speeding up

We have a Bluebells clematis out front. It never has bloomed very well, which has been a surprise, as I bought it from an online seller that has always sent me very well producing bulbs, tubers, and plants. It is supposed to bloom on both old and new growth. Maybe I have been limiting it. The vine and leaf growth is very proliferous so every fall it has gotten a pretty good trim. Last fall I was tempted to remove it, but instead we left half of the 2021 growth as a test. I am hoping it blooms more this year. It is a nice cover up for the shepherd’s hook where we hang one of the two hummingbird feeders.

A few days ago it had just leaf buds. Now it has “sprung”. Besides the very sparce blooms, it is a healthy plant and holds up well in the wind, so I am hoping this is the year we see it’s true bloom potential.

What goes – #2

This summer our ac went out.  The footprint of the new ac unit was a bit larger, necessitating the removal of a couple trellises and the corresponding clematis.

Truthfully, that poor clematis was traumatized long before.  It bloomed late spring.  Some years it was spared the wrath of the previous ac’s wind, but many years I had to make a decision – humans fade from the heat, or the clematis fade from the wind off the ac.  Believe me, I held out many years.  Every year I thought, “I need to move that.”

Continue reading “What goes – #2” →

It’s hot! Best to get out early.

For anyone who may think Minnesotans escape the heat in summer, I can without a doubt say, we don’t. Summers are prone to heat spells like winter is prone to long cold spells. We are in a heat spell right now.

During those times, I like to get out early to enjoy garden tending. This morning I did just that. It was time to pull the tulip leaves, along with the few stalks from this spring’s blooms. In that few minutes outside, carefully pulling dried tulip leaves (that didn’t bloom) in the back center of one of the gardens, I found myself thinking, “Why did I donate those big Aureomarginata hostas again? They used to cover up the drying tulip leaves so well!”

Today’s picture is from a few days ago when the heat first arrived. The clematis looked much fresher then. But all’s well. The first blooms on hostas are about to open, and the asian lily buds are starting to pink up. Soon we will have more blooms.

The clematis are starting to bloom

The first clematis bloom opened Tuesday. Always a wonderful sight. Hopefully many more blooms to come.

I am reminded of the years where we kept a very tall trellis in that spot. Funny thing about clematis. They are kind of like work. They expand to fit the time (or space) allotted. We let that one get so big a bird built a nest in it, and we could see inside the nest from inside the window. We called them the “trillers” because they would trill each time Mama approached. Eventually we watched them get big and strong and leave the nest. It doesn’t take long, but it was fun to watch.

This year, I hear something that sounds like a bird in the gutter. I wish I had a drone. I could fly it high and zoom in. I don’t want to climb up on a ladder and try to see. We’ll just wait. Time will tell. It doesn’t seem like an ideal place to nest, but we’ll see.

Clematis blooming, settled on daylilies up north

The clematis are beginning to bloom at the townhouse. First the white ones bloomed, and now a new pink volunteer we haven’t seen blooms on before is starting.

20200601_194542

20200602_223902

I had a few volunteers over the past few years that really took off this year, so I had to buy a couple extra trellises.  Not easy in the current shopping environment, but it turned out ok.

Last weekend we went up north.  I tell you!  It’s amazing how fast things grow up there!  You might say it’s wild – lol!  The ferns that were fiddleheads last time were waist high!!  We have thousands, and unfortunately some have to get cut back so we have a homesite/campsite that is reasonably free from ticks.

20200530_121456

The butterflies and bumblebees were enjoying the dandelions.  It was a fabulous sight to see.  We don’t prevent dandelions up north so they have a nice supply of food.

20200602_224639

20200602_233137

A walk through the farther trails taught us we have an abundance of wild roses we didn’t know about, and even some scrubby maple trees.  (I thought we were too far north for maples.)

By far, however, the big news is … the baby daylilies are doing well up north!!  The deer are leaving them alone so far, and they are holding their own with just the natural rain.  I am hopeful!  The asparagus also survived the winter, and it looks like one asclepias.  I cleaned up the raised beds, and put more black dirt in one.  Man, I wish I had that $300 back!  I don’t like the steel and boxy look nearly as much as I thought I would, and they heaved in the center so they look weird, but oh, well.  Live and learn.

The fact that daylilies are doing well up there makes my harvesting decisions much easier going forward.  It means I will probably harvest seeds from our townhome gardens again this year, and sow some in the ground up north as well as start seedlings in the winter again.  Probably.

It’s also about this time of year, as the summer garden comes into full form, that I start to realise what fall divisions will be needed.  The townhouse garden is getting pretty mature, and I will need to divide and split quite a bit this fall.  This ‘Rainforest Sunrise’ hosta has definitely overgrown the space.

20200601_194616

I love the coloring, and the leaves are a bit more tender, so I will keep the divisions at the townhouse.

I’m tempted, however, to try some of the ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ hosta divisions up north, as the leaves are deer resistant.

So many ideas … but a bit of time to chew on them.  For now, the daylily seedlings are all planted except two, which will go into the townhome garden in the next day or so.  The lavender seeds are starting to sprout in pots – we’ll see how far they get – and the tulips are fading back and making way for the Asian lily blooms to come center stage next.