A few weeks ago Jane asked about Clematis on one of the other threads, so I've rummaged around to find photos of some of my favorites. These are all plants that have been dead easy in my garden - plant them in good soil, provide support from either a metal trellis of some kind or a shrub, and step back. They usually take three years from the small size I buy (second year from cuttings) to get to a good size and sufficient blooms to have real impact. Recently I've started planting in mesh bottomless baskets to protect them from the voles who have been particularly problematic. I'll try to post the photos in approximate order that they bloom.

Stolwijk Gold (prune 1) I am unable to get a photo of this plant with both the leaves and the flowers correctly colored. This is good for the leaves which stay a bright gold to chartreuse all season, but the flowers are a cool blue, not this reddish purple. Blooms in May.

Ornamental seed heads

Guernsey Cream (prune 2) blooms for me in almost total shade with large lilacs to the east and west, a large building to the north and a bunch of full sized trees 20 feet to the south. I can only imagine what it might look like under better circumstances.

HF Young (prune 2)is a bit bluer than this in some light conditions and a bit lighter and more lavender in full sun. So depending on when I look at this plant the flowers look slightly different in color, but every year this plant spends 2 or 3 weeks with this explosion of color.

Ville de Lyon (prune 3) is usually described as cerise. The outer edge of the petals are deep pink and they lighten toward the petal center. I love the flower shape on this one and it blooms for a long time in a spot with less than half day sun.

Fascination (prune 3) has these cute little bells and is one I am replacing as soon as I find one since the voles did it in last winter.

The lavender bells are Betty Corning (prune 3) which is a huge plant, but has these delicate looking little bells that dance in the wind. The darker more open flower is Viola, which is a true dark purple