Polish Spirit is a nice Viticella, very hardy, vigorous and supposed to be disease resistant. My favourite Clematis in my garden however is "Niobe". A slightly more compact Clematis (4-6 ft) but an absolutely beautiful dark red colour. Niobe had a really slow first year for me, did almost nothing and no new growth. Died back to the ground in the winter and I thought she was a goner. This spring though, i fertilized with a bit of tomato food (tip I got on the GardenWeb forums) and she's come back, is growing upwards and vining beautifully. She looks really healthy and happy this summer, so I think maybe this Clematis just needs a bit of time and some patience (and maybe tomato food) to get going! Polish Spirit is a purple, so it also depends on what colour scheme is going to work best for you.

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.

A top shelf plant sits in location two you need to review the hydrangea forum persoanly from me there is no way I would let a vine run anywhere in my hydrangeas if you realy want spring colors in location 2 rethink it to be a five foot or 6 foot roddie color choises are wide enough it will serve you and that hydragea well but will a roddie grow inbetween a couple oaks Hmmmmmmmmmm different forum there is just no way I would want a vine growing inbetween a hydragea Location one Anything you want for a climatis just look it up http://www.paradisegarden.com/shop/searchresults.php?category=clematis&browse=1

No No ...No tears, I have already been there...that's when my husband actually took me to the tile store and has committed to getting involved. He usually leaves all these decisions to me (thankfully) but I am stumped with this backsplash choice. I took photos on my iphone and it won't let me upload them to this sight so I emailed them to you - hope that was ok. The ashbury Chamomile (Market collection I think its called) is so far the winning tile. I actually feel I could order this and go forward. I have to tell you it was your words "it makes the cream in the granite pop like popcorn) that got me to reconsider the cream subway again. I had this ashbury home in sept. and would walk by and go 'oh that's nice' but OMG it's basic cream. And my husband would say 'what's wrong with that tile' and I would say, no too cream. I think I was in denial and wanting something greater, better, the perfect match. My idea is to get Benjamin Moore to team up with a tile company and do custom colored tiles for us all. I have to say I painted my walls when the kitchen was gutted - put Bleeker Beige up, loved it, then the cabinets went in, still loved it, then the granite and my furniture went in and my stomach rolled over, YUK it was grey and cold and awful. I thought it was the granite (which it was) I convinced my husband to repaint and went with Oak Ridge from BM and LOVE it. This granite is full of warmth and earth tones and for me, trying to bring in a cool tone didn't work. I find the same problem with the tile. This ashbury tile has warmth, almost can look creamy (yellow but not yellow) and somewhat green but not green. It is a cream but a warm one. The rixi is the next runner up but for me it kind of comes through pale, not pink not grey but not the warmth I want. Sorry for going on and on its just so hard to get it all across. In the end I wanted a creamy subway tile, I just got off track with my kids telling me NO SHINY TILE it should be natural. But then they go off to college and leave me with their thoughts!! One more point my husband made about using the creamy tiles, he said cream goes with everything. When you can't match an outfit you (meaning me) you put a cream sweater on..... it's your go to color. And he's right. I am feeling more confident about this. But am still waiting to see the adex sand due in monday. I too have googled my eyeballs out over this. It's not the most common granite but we do love it. I do understand your stress. And you have already invested in tile and have to do it again. But we all make decorating boo boo's at some point. And when it's all finally done, that feeling of wow it's great will be worth it. We just finished our master bath redo (which took me away from the backsplash for a bit) and I was as a mess with decisions about it. But it looks amazing. We are thrilled. So I am trying to trust myself and say, you can do this......this from the woman who buys 15 different shades of tan paint samples to finally feel confident in choosing my kitchen paint color. I exhaust every option. But then I know it's right. So if I were you, it might be worth the 45 min drive to check out this tile.......it's cheaper than tearing out that granite :)