1) armandii 'Appleblossom' - for early season profusion of fragrant flowers, it can't be beat.
2) montana 'Tetrarose' - the hardest working clematis in my garden. Literally hundreds of flowers over a long period in spring and great foliage feature as well.
3) florida sieboldii - because it is just so incredibly exotic looking and a color combo I adore. Unfortunately, I cannot get this clem to grow for me.

Do I have to stop at 3?? Number 4 would be viticella 'Etoile Violette' - another very floriferous and hard working vine that takes the most unfavorable conditions in my garden and still manages to look gorgeous all summer.

Well to me floriferous is the key more than the size, shape or color. That being said I'm a sucker for big beautiful doubles, preferably blue LOL.

Number 1 - Purpurea Plena Elegans. It's completely covered with blooms for more than a month in my garden.

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Number 2 - Multi-blue. I love the form and color. It had quite a good flush of blooms for me and now is blooming again and they are doubles! They don't look exactly like the spring flowers, but they are still beautiful. This pic is from the spring.

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Number 3 - Belle of Woking

She's a reliable bloomer and re-bloomer in my garden and I love the color.

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Miguel, I see you have revealed a definite preference for purple as well as viticella....

Im assuming you mean any 3 one could choose as opposed to 3 that one has or could grow)

1. Florida Sieboldi because it is very exotic looking, and would definitely prove one's ability to grow clematis.

2.Venosa Violacea because I really like the flower.... the transition from white to purple. That it is a group 3 is a plus.

3. Rhapsody (or similar) because I like large flower varieties, and blue is my favorite color clematis.

Hal

Hal, I originally meant three clematis that you would want and don't have yet either because you haven't purchased it yet or because it is not readily available, but it appears that I didn't make that too clear. It really doesn't matter though since people should pick out those they like even if they already have them or not. You definitely have me pegged--I like the viticellas and anything purple. Now if they would just come up with a true orange clematis I would be in heaven.

I do not have any of the yellow cultivars/species, but I kind of thought that some of them were more orange than yellow? Am I wrong?

Made me think of another question, but I don't want to throw a red herring in your thread, so Ill ask later...

Hal

Sorry I misunderstood.
As Emily Litella would say -
Never mind.

Jackie, I love your pictures, especially PPE. That gives me hope that mine will look better in the future, it's such a slow grower for me.

Miguel, I could never just choose three.....sigh. But, I would like Black Prince.

Katie

Jackie, no problem. Like I said, I should have been more specific but if people want to list their favorites in their garden that is okay too. I believe it was you who posted the picture of your Belle of Woking some time in the past and I fell in love with it. Mine aspires to be as nice looking as yours. I also think your PPE is a knockout.

Hal, I know that someone posted a picture of Orange Peel recently (someoone whose moniker is wmc or something along those lines) and it does have some orange in the sepal color but I am talking a true orange color as far as my wishes go. Feel free to go ahead and post your question here-I personally don't mind sidebars in postings!

Katie, if you ever find Black Prince, buy two. I will be more than happy to pay for it and its shipping. I have done it before-- remember? I'll do the same for you!

Jackie ..your Pic of Clematis "Purpurea Plena Elegans" is absolutely breathtaking!!..How long has it grown in your gardens?...I am getting a hold of Debbie now and get that one!!..that is if it doesn't take forever to perform like that..you see..I am an Impatient Clematis Grower..tee hee and Oh Yea, Miguel!!..I can't just name three sowwy honey but I want 'em all!!!...JEANNE

Jeanne, you are too funny. I too love PPE and it was one of the first three I ever bought. There are many who don't like the looks or color of the flowers, but I do. That is why I also like Mary Rose--just a greyish-purple version of PPE.

well, I am in the other camp on PPE.....I do not care so much for the doubles...they do look great while in fully glory.... but when the blooms decline, they get downright ugly, the singles die more gracefully....IMHO

Hal

Hal, I guess that is why there are such a wide variety of clematis out there--something for everyone!

That is so right Miguel, unlike most other garden plants, there is a clematis for just about any situation or preference.....

Well, now Miguel, I might add Yume to my list! There's Tentel-- http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=522
Ekstra-- http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=157
Ice Maiden-- http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=2205
Runners up are Yukikomachi-- http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=601
and Omoshiro-- http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=1545
I really love the group III's...they're fuller, last longer and certainly are more vigourous than group II's but there are just some Group II's that are outstandingly beautiful!
Tanya

Hey you guys I know where you can get the black prince there is a grower in europe I believe his name is robin saville I saw it in his catalog some time back now we just need to get him to send them bare root to us what a tease uhh Hey miguel I have an orange dahlia growing with a Pear D Azure way killer color combo. have a sunny day

pearle d Azure not pear d azure what an idiot

Clematis not bombs, if we can legally get Black Prince into the country, I am one who would be greatly interested. I am sure Katie would want him also!

Tanya, I agree about some of the type IIs. The main problem in my zone is that they tend to look like H*LL by the middle of summer. I guess I should take solace in the fact that I can whack them back and get new foliage and more flowers. There are two type IIs that still have my eye however. One is Kiri Te Kanawa--those double purple-blue flowers taunt me. The other is Vyvyan Pennell. The double flowers on it remind me of a peony!

Wow, How do begin to choose only three? I put in a 'purp plena e' this spring, can only hope it will ever begin to look like jackie's---sensational... But of all the new clems I put in this year, I have to say I have really fallen for rooguchi and arabella. they started to bloom and just haven't quit and there is something about their refinement!

Miguel...you may've already read your e-mail...I have a few Vyvyan Pennell seeds for you. :) It is an amazing clematis...so full and totally beautiful. It takes a long time from bud to flower but maybe not so in your climate.

Tanya, I hadn't read the email prior to seeing your posting about VV! Our minds must have been on the same thing. I am willing to give any clematis a chance in my garden--you never know what you might be missing otherwise!

OK, Robin S has let me down in a big way in the past. He was going to get me Mary Rose....and then didn't. Never got around to it. Grrrr. Fortunately I managed elsewhere, after a 10 year wait. Others I know have been disappointed by his promises.

I fell in love with several last spring- when visiting Brewster Rogerson. Here are 3 of them.

Ai-Nor
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Japonica
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Kimiichera
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There are of course others: Teksa, Flepp, many I've never seen.

Of those I have seen and grown, VV and Yukikomachi are outstanding. I also love Anita. Miguel...I have Elvan, but it has only had one pathetic flower in the last 3 years. Keep your fingers crossed for next year! Maybe I will at last succeed at layering.

Marie, I love japonica also. I got one from Dan at Brushwood this spring and it did great and flowered and then proceeded to yellow and die away on me over our relentlessly hot and dry summer. My being away for over a month from mid-July to mid-August probably didn't help any either! I was going to order one from him for fall delivery but he is temporarily out of stock so I guess it will be next spring.

I am crossing my fingers for your success in layering Marie. Perhaps once I get a japonica and get it established, I will succeed in air layering it also!

Fun to look at this thread and the beautiful pictures. I am a clematis fan but with not clematis yet growing in my new garden, all the old ones probably are toast due to dry summer and neglect. But my favorites would be:

Betty Corning
Huldine
Blue Boy

All of the above are incredibly profuse, long flowering plants, producing 100s of flowers through the season (1000s on Betty Corning) on a mature plant. They give so much to the garden for so little, mainly just require patience.

Jackie and Marie, I certainly see some must-haves in your pictures. How gorgeous!

Beautiful photos!

I would choose C. Durandii, an integrifolia, because it's easy to grow, troublefree, and blooms from spring til frost (Mar-Nov/Dec) for me. I also like the deep blue color.

Like others before me, Florida seiboldii, because I love the color and I CAN grow it.

No. 3 would be a 3-way tie. I love my Gravetye Beauty. Great color and it's delicate tulip shaped flowers are so elegant.
Venosa Violacea...easy and I love the electric flowers. Good bloomer, too!
Victor Hugo, a new one for me this past spring, has performed admirable and the flowers are so dark; they look like black-purple velvet.

Do I really have to stick to 3? It's soooooooo hard!

wanda

Where do you all buy your clematis from, especially the Japanese varieties? They are so beautiful! As for my favorites, they are: Huldine, Venosa Violacea, Madame Julia Correvon, Mrs. Cholomondeley and Duchess of Albany. Oh, Sweet Autumn Clematis - its a monster, but I still love her!

Bellarosa, you can purchase clematis japonica from Dan at Brushwood.

Miguel,
Sorry for the confusion. I wasn't looking to purchase Clematis Japonica, although it is a beautiful variety. I was interested in knowing where some of the folks who responded to this post purchased some of the Japanese clematis varieties including: Omoshiro, Yukikomachi and Kimiichera. Also, where did you purchase Black Prince and Mary Rose? They are very pretty!

Bellarosa, sorry about the confusion. I believe the ones Marie posted pictures of are ones she saw in Brewster Rogerson's garden when she visited. Brewster probably has a lot more access to those special clematis than most of the rest of us. Also, I don't have any of the three clematis I mentioned in my original post either. They are ones that I dream of having eventually. Right now they are unavailable in the US. DRATS!!!!!!!!!! I know Dan at Brushwood has imported a specimen of Mary Rose and is going to attempt to propagate it for eventual distribution in the US, but for now all I can do is dream!!! LOL

Omoshiro and Japonica were available in Canada this year, but supplies ran out. Yukikomachi and Mary Rose were gifts to me from amazing friends. I am still hoping to find others like Ai-Nor and Kimiichera. It is a long wait for this impatient soul....Mary Rose was a ten year wait. A friend of mine bought Ai-Nor only to find that it was mislabeled.

Miguel and Gardenbug,
Thanks for the clarification. Maybe in the near future we'll see more of the Japanese varieties in the US.

Betty Corning
Prince Charles
Rooguchi

Venosa Violacea, Florida Sieboldii (which I have successfully overwintered for the past 2 years!!)...In fact, I have these two planted together and I think they look great together.

and.....um....Triternata Rubromarginata (though I will change my mind on this one if the latest one I added last summer doesn't return this next spring).

Honorable mention...The President, but only because not a single flower opened up unblemished last year. Each one opened up all streaked and weird. The flowers all appeared tye-died. Nice effect.

~Chills

Chills, Sieboldii is a lot hardier than it is given credit for. I know of several people growing it in zone 5 who have no problems with it as far as survival goes. The only sure way to know if it will grow in your zone is to try it, after all, experience is the best teacher.

Hi every one!
How are you doing.
I'm breader of Yume and Flepp.These hybrid departures were caused in the process of the restoration of endangered species. I sincerely prays that you meet wonderful clematis. And, I wishes the happiness of all wildlives.

I sent new images'Yume' and 'Flepp' for Richard Green.

Here is a link that might be useful: YumeiRicherd Green)

Yume..is a gorgeous clematis!!..And I have a fondness for the pruning group 3s..thanks for showing it..a must have...Does it always bloom double?...Jeanne

Hi Jeanne !!
Nice to meet you.
Yume always blooms double. And, she keeps blooming infinitely as long as it grows up. However, because too a lot of flowers were produced too much, growth might
temporarily be stopped.

Is it available in the USA?...TIA...Jeanne

Gardenbug, you definitely have a talent with the camera. I love your pics everywhere I see them.

And Flepp, thank you for sharing your work with us. Your clematis are beautiful.

One I would like but haven't been able to get yet is Adrian James (seems to be available only in Oz so far). It has frilly petals and a humongous bloom season. I have no more room but I would make room if it ever became available. It's on COTW.

I really want to get Sieboldi growing nicely but I foolishly bought it online and it's a pathetic specimen so I doubt it will even flower this year.

Last but not least a tie between niobe and arabella I've got both but wouldn't want to be without them.

One rare one I have got which I'd like to get going well is the small taiwanese bell shaped henryi (also on COTW). I'll try and do cuttings for people when I get it going strong.

Hi Jeanne!
At present, neither Flepp nor Yume proliferate. :(
However, I am percussing those proliferation to a certain nursery company. :)