Hi Paul, you contacted me about trading earlier but I've been busy with my annual plant sale and didn't get around to answering. You sound like a man who needs gentians and I have seeds from blue bottle, dahurica, and cruciata. Though some can be tricky to germinate, they are so worth it if you love true blue flowers. LMK and we'll work something out. Kate

Your plant from the two post looks like bindweed(but as the poster on the other tread pointed out, it could be a couple other things), but that flower you posted belongs to a bellflower(campanula) and doesn't go with the foliage at all. Those flowers would not of started off white and turned purple either. I think the vine has wound around a bellflower giving the illusion that it is blooming that flower. Find a white bloom from the vine and take a pic please : ) Remy

Well, it's not really a perennial...unless you're in zone 9 (some say it's hardy through zone 8 also) or higher!! But still, it does have some very beautiful blue (actually more of a turquoise blue) flowers. I present to you...blue puya (puya berteroniana). http://www.anniesannuals.com/signs/p%20-%20r/puya_berteroniana_bp.htm Ain't she a beauty?? Turns out, it's actually a bromeliad. Pretty cool, huh??

Annie, I can't tell you for sure what the specific cultivar of macropetala clematis the one is that I posted. It was purchased at Lowes and labeled as an alpina 'Constance' which is a hot pink color--definitely not what I got. Considering it was purchased at Lowes, it may very well be the species macropetala and not one of the hybrids. The pictures of it on COTW often show a lot of the blue clematis as having more pink than blue in them. I am not sure if it is just the lighting or if in England the weather and soil conditions change the perceived color. Rootdigger, if you want to see more pictures of my clematis, you should check out my Photobucket account linked below. I must admit I didn't take very many pictures this past season but have quite a few on there from 2004. Also, I can attest to the fact that Betty Corning is fragrant. Picked blooms this spring and brought them into the house and you could definitely smell the fragrance once you entered the room they were in. A plant outside can also perfume your garden once it gets large enough to support many flowers. Also, the fragrance tends to be more pronounced when the air is still and heavy. Mine hasn't gotten to that stage yet but I am awaiting the day. Here is a link that might be useful: Miguel's Photobucket account