Sounds wonderful, Lisa!! Yes, please share pictures!!

Below is how I plan my beds... the left side of the photo is from the Flickriver link. The right side is J P Connell from Hovman on HMF, and Etoile Violette from the Clematis link from above by Longfei Yu.

Here is the Flickriver link for old rose colors. http://www.flickriver.com/groups/roseancienne/pool/random/

Rebecca

Oooh I like that combo Rebecca! Very pretty! And lol, I do know what you mean...it would make me dizzy as well! But I'll get it anyway, it's companion Little Duckling/Piilu is waiting for it :)

Im on the hunt for Ville de Lyon & Prince Charles as well...not to.mention Perl d'Azur! Sadly one of the garden centers here was carry both VdL and PC...but they weren't healthy (VdL had clematis wilt) ...so waiting for another season & search!

Can't wait to see more of your colour combos, you've quite the eye! :)

Thanks, Gillian! Debbie at Silver Star Vinery carries all three of your wish list clematis. When my order comes this week, I'll take photos of the plants as I unpack them. You won't believe how huge the roots are. My holes are already dug, I have the shade cloth ready (it's been so hot here, they need the shade for a while), and I can't wait to put them in the dirt. The problem is they take a while to grow enough to bloom. Debbie trims them low to allow the roots to grow and settle in. As soon as I get blossoms, though, I'll post photos.

Rebecca

Lily, I looked up every clematis on your list!!!! How could you do this to me??? In my time of need I asked for help and then you lay all these gorgeous clematis at my feet!!!????

Bonanza look so dark and beautiful it reminds me of velvet.

Princess Kate reminds me of a huge lily.

Bourbon looks irridescent pink. Beautiful!!

Crystal Fountain was on my gotta have right now list, but decided I didn't want the puffy centers. I might still get it though because I love the color so much. I think I would be checking every plant, every hour for buds... They all looked great!! I wonder, could I make clematis bunk beds in my back yard? I think it would work if it didn't get so stinkin' cold here. :) Think about it... big boxes filled with dirt and clematis dripping off the sides. Stacked like bunk beds on the side of the house every 3 feet to allow for sun and water. I want it! Oh, and I could have ladders on both sides to hold up the beds and tend the plants!!

Rebecca

Gillian, here are the rest of my color combinations. Not as dramatic as the previous ones, but I love them just the same...

Below is J P Connell with Crown Princess Margareta and Guernsey Cream.

Next is Comtesse de Bouchaud with a bed of 6 Perdita

Last is clematis Ekstra with the rose John Davis

I won't have the real combination photos of these until next year, but I have these to dream on. I love being able to plan like this and "see things" before they are placed in the ground. It saves having to move plants... sometimes.

Rebecca

I'm to the point where I don't think a climbing rose looks complete without a clematis growing with it. I don't have a fence to grow things on, so I've started growing clems on obelisks by themselves, usually 2 varieties together, but making sure they are in the same pruning group. You almost can't make a mistake with colors. Your Ekstra is GORGEOUS! I think I need it. All your combinations are perfect. Now that there are so many shorter ones, we can grow them with our shrub roses. Chelsea is a softly colored 2' clem that could be grown through a rose bush or in a pot to drape over the sides or even a hanging basket. My newest favorites are Venosa Violacea and Blue Angel, both oldies but goodies. Now, I'm going to check out Ekstra. I have a lonely John Davis who is just begging for a companion.

Jackie, thanks for that warning! I had read somewhere years ago to plant roses and clems in the same hole. I never did it because I always wondered what would happen if one died and had to be taken out. I didn't think about the strangling problem. Clematis surely do have big, aggressive roots, so that makes sense.

Rosesmi, I concur with your assessment of Sweet Summer Love. I had high hopes for that one, too, but it doesn't do anything but grow and grow and never bloom. It gets buds that shrivel up. The fragrance was dismal at best. This is it's 3rd or 4th year and it's huge, covering an arbor, but I'm taking it out. It has eaten my New Dawn, if you can believe it! Poor New Dawn had one scrawny bloom poke it's little head through all that viney stuff and beg for mercy.

Rebecca, I love your idea of using photos first to plan, that's so smart! I'm also not sure about the puffy center on crystal fountain ! It was $3 at lowes so I wasn't going to turn that down. I looked at Debbie's website and saw a new one I rather like , cloudburst ! She has no image so you need to google it but it's lovely! I need to start a list .

Flowers, how awful yet amazing that managed to choke out new dawn! That's crazy .

So when y'all plant your clematis do you use a support to get them into the rose or just keep placing the new growth in the rose til it climbed? I have a mature teasing Georgia that a blue would look stunning in.

Jolly good is adorable! By the way... sign up for bluestone perennials emails. They frequently have clems for half off and they are great ! In the late winter they do 50 percent off Friday's and always have a few. So you order them , and all winter long they keep your order and combine the shipping at the end before they send them. Great deal!!

Andromeda

Flowers, thanks! It's nice to hear that some else likes my rose/clematis combos. I go through a lot before I finally decide, and then I change my mind again. Debbie is the one that suggested Ekstra for me, though. I told her I was looking for a pale lavender and she said Ekstra was a greyish lavender and I said, "YES!" She also suggested Diana's Delight because it's short and such a prolific bloomer when it gets going.

Chelsea is absolutely lovely!!! I must have it and plant it near a John Davis for sure.

I saw some images of Sweet Summer Love on Goggle that looked pretty funky... like tiny flowers not developed right. Maybe it only grows well in certain areas. I'll ask Debbie next time we chat.

Thanks, Lily! All of your photos are SO wonderful!! In answer to your question, I just let my clems ramble around the rose, like Comtesse will with the Perditas. Or I guide them to the rose and then they climb, like John Davis.

As I was seaching out Cloudburst, which is gorgeous, I fell upon a pinterest page and now I'm REALLY in trouble. There area couple of Crystal Fountain photos on there and now I KNOW I need to get that one, just for the funky color changes! I have no clue where all of these are going to go. As I said, I kill things in pots... And then there's Andromeda. HELP!!! I thought starting this thread would make me better... now I'm worse than ever!!!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/24769866681203158/

Rebecca

I'm ignoring the title of this post. Clearly, noone here WANTS help! I don't even think you realize there's a problem!! ; )

P.S. I love this classic pairing. Maybe someday when I have my pergola I can fit a few in. I always thought they needed a lot of care.

Oh yeah vapor , I am not here to help ! Nor do I want any. Now I'll take help in what new ones to want for sure! :) they really don't need a lot of care. I find a plant and forget it attitude is best. I water and fertilizer but I don't get upset if they grow slow or get wilt. I just cut em back and move along .

Besides being beautiful and no-care, they're bug free and disease free, at least in my climate. Adding clematis to a garden really isn't adding any more work for the gardener. Deadheading is about the only 'work' they need, and mine bloom well even when I don't get around to all of them. Even deadheading is easy - no counting leaflets or finding an outward bud eye to cut to. Also, no special fertilizer is needed. Just toss a little of whatever you're feeding your roses at their base keeps them happy.

Oh, Vapor!! Plant one and you'll be hooked!! Lily and Flowers are right on... plant them and do what you do for the rose. No matter what type they are, mine get cut to the ground due to winter kill. They bloom anyway!

Lisa what great photos of great combinations!! Now I need Prince Charles, too. And there's Crystal Fountain again!!! OK. I give up. Bring them all on... this is more than fun!!! I am to the point that Flowers is now... Roses don't look right without a clematis growing through them.

Rebecca

In case you would like a little more to make you think twice. I will echo what Jackie said. I know many people do the rose and clematis pairing. Until you have dug up some you just don't realize how aggressive the root systems are. Betty Cornings roots for example went 6+ feet in all directions and 2+ feet down. I found the roots when planting a rose and there was no doubt that BC had to go. By the time I got her out I had a huge hole to fill with soil again.

I had amassed some 60 clematis before gaining control. Once they become well established they will indeed suck every once of water and nutrients from your soil. Leaving nothing behind for your rose. Clematis are beautiful but eventually you see that they need their own spots. My advice thou not asked for is if you can keep the number of clematis to just a few your roses will love ya. :-)

Oh no, I hate being the only nay sayer here.

Patty, we're in the same zone so I can't figure out how that could happen to you. I've grown clems and roses together for 20 years and nothing that even resembles that has happened to mine. I'm sure it could, though, so it certainly is something to think about. Maybe I've been lucky enough to plant less aggressive ones. Usually, in our cold zones, nothing gets too out of hand. I appreciate your wise words that I will take to heart.

I know Northland grows them together also. I was wondering if my moist environment could be a problem. Many of my clematis were viticellas and they are rather aggressive now that you come to mention it. Well, I'll be darn have at it ladies and please more photos. Stunning combination!

Patty, you're not the only voice of caution though I join the group here in enthusiastic love for clematis. I haven't found they crowd out the roots of the roses, but if I want them to ramble up and through the roses I need to use the most robust roses I can find and watch at least half of the clematis that are more aggressive. For me, Princess Diana is among the most vigorous (if you ignore the truly thuggish Sweet Autumn Clematis), and she has pulled a mailbox out of true and is absolutely swamping Queen of Sweden and Scepter'd Isle at right here (pink trumpet blooms) while some purple clem (Betty Balfour is in the area but I don't think it is this one) demolishes Jeanne LaJoie and a large double shepherd's hook to the left. This was June, and they both just get bigger with the season.

As Flowers says there are some clematis that are much more mannerly, but I rarely seem to be able to anticipate which is which. I know Nelly Moser and Niobe are both modest growers and Jackmanii and Hagley Hybrid are monsters, but most are a tossup for me. Multiblue is a very nice clem to combine with roses and the mannerly vines and intense blue blooms are a lovely counterpart to just about any rose, or in this case mums.

Cynthia

Patty, there is nothing wrong with being a naysayer!! We all value your opinion! Besides, Jackie gave us all the same warning and I kinda thought it was because of the climate differences. Now I'm more inclined to think it is due to the kind of clematis you grow. Thank you for making us aware of that, you two. I have only one viticella and that one can take over the world in it's spot. The rose, J P Connell is probably going to be quite small and won't mind a bit.

Cynthia, I love your photos! The second one reminds me of Laguna and Prince Charles which would be another great combination!! Will it never end in my head? :)

Thanks all for this most fun thread!!!

Rebecca

Sorry for the late reply, busy here this week!

Everyone's photos are gorgeous, and I love those pairings Rebecca! I can't wait until you have it all finished and we see all your lovely photos!

I will agree with Nippstress, Jackmanii is one aggressive grower, mine hit 9ft it's first year planted...gangly still, but very tall!

For less aggressive growers there's a series by Raymond Evision...I believe they're patio clematis, for container and small gardens. Apparently none reach over 6ft. I'm not sure what they'd do root wise, but I'd assume they'd have a smaller root system since they don't grow as large.

Here's a few I'm looking to get, hopefully they'll cover up the very leggy John Cabot, and William Baffin :)

(Not my pics)

Shimmer

Edda

Amethyst Beauty (looked more red toned to me at the garden center)

Hmm, that shimmer looks rather blurry to me...might be my device, or my eyes! But, here is another

Shimmer

Gillian, those are perfect!!! I think they will make excellent partners for JC and WB!!! I like the idea of color when the Canadian roses aren't in bloom. Shimmer is delicious... I like how the color varies so much with each stage of the blossom. I am going to have to look all of these up. I have been trying to find a lavender clem that is not so agressive. One that will color, not cover the rose. These look like three great possibilities. Thanks!!!

Diana's Delight above with John Davis in a dish is one of those shorter climbers by R. Evision. I've put this link out before, but in case you didn't see it, it's worth checking out. http://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-john-davis-roses/

Here's a video on Amethyst Beauty https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YFp6129wYYw

And one on Shimmer https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Asf8lnulbrE

And lovely Edda is a 2-4 footer... Petite! :)

Thanks for the photos. They were very helpful!! EEEEK! I can't believe that I am thanking you for further enabling me... Oh my.

Rebecca

I love Roguchi, but it does get PM in my cramped spot. Also using Saphire Indigo as a ground cover around roses.

Love Saphire Indigo as well!! Here's a photo from White Flower Farms website.

Rebecca

Sapphire indigo (baby this year) with Mystic Beauty

Roguchi with Wollerton Old Hall

I love those, Totoro!! Don't you wish they would grow faster? Great trellis, too!

Rebecca

Yes, Totoro! Please tell us about the trellis.

Lol, you are very welcome Rebecca, I'll continue to enable as much as I can :) the more Clem's and roses here the better!

I have seen that link to the John Davis roses before! They look fantastic in that spot! I can't imagine mine ever looking like that, but one can hope! My John Davis is new, just planted 2 weeks ago, he's still blooming away. I'll wait for him to grow before I plant him with any clematis.

Maybe John would look nice with Shimmer, once he gets a bit bigger (only 3ft tall yet)

Edda is one of my favorites, just because she's so small, I could fit her in anywhere! - I'll view the videos after this post!

Beautiful pictures Totoro!

Yes, Gillian!! I was thinking of planting another John Davis, just so I could plant it with Shimmer! :)

Rebecca

I think they would be so pretty together! If you do try it, let me know (and of course post pictures) how they look together! :)

I'm still trying to decide which clematis to plant with each of my climbing Laguna...leaning towards Prince Charles, but I'm still not certain lol ...heck I don't even care if Laguna never "climbs" for me here, although I think she stands a better chance than others...such a beautiful rose!

Ooohhhhh, Gillian!!! Laguna was on my short list for so long. I didn't want the thorns in the spot I was wanting it for. It is gorgeous, though. Here is your photo with Prince Charles. A lighter colored clematis.

And below is your photo of Laguna with a darker clematis called Viola

Either way, you win!! A neighbor has a John Cabot rose which is a similar color to Laguna in photos, next to Russian sage. That lavender color is gorgeous! Makes the hot pink pop!! And hey, if you don't like what you pick, just move it around. That's what I do all the time. My poor roses hardly get time to get a foot hold and up they go again. This year I moved St. Cecilia around 3 times!!!! Poor girl... I promised here this last time this was it. I really don't want to move her again. Until the next time.

Oh, and here's my John Davis with your Shimmer photo. Delicious!!!

Rebecca

Oh my goodness Rebecca, thank you!

Now I'm truly stuck! both options with Laguna look wonderful! Since I have two Laguna I suppose I'll try one with each! I was going to do matching, but who cares about matching when the colours look like that lol.

John Davis and Shimmer are meant to be, that colour combination is so pleasing to my eyes. I'll have to make sure I'm at the garden center bright and early when the season starts next year so I can get one :)

I haven't actually moved any of mine around, but I will be digging up quite a few and replacing them. Sickly little things, I don't think they'll make it through winter, on the bright side that gives me room for the 10 Austin's I've ordered :) And by next spring I'll be asking for your help in pairing those with clematis! :)

And here's another combination with Lady Ashe (which I have on order from Chamblees) and Etoile Violette (which I have on order from Silver Star Vinery). I think this combination is one of my favorites!!

Rebecca

OH THAT'S SO EXCITING, GILLIAN!!!! Please do let me know when you are ready!! I love hunting up photos and comparing them together!! If you click on my name, that takes you to my page and there is a box that says MESSAGE. If you click on that, you can send me a message to let me know you are ready to post and plan. Forgive me if you already know about this... it would be fun to keep up with each other's progress, though. 10 new Austins!!! Wow! What did you order?

Rebecca

Shimmer is really pretty!! Love the multi shade effect. Beautiful combos Rebecca, lady Ashe looks fantastic, I hope you enjoy it when you get it ! I'm so excited, I just found an arbor on varagesale for 20$ and I'm going to pick some clematis for it. I usually prefer both the sides matching . Cloudburst is intriguing, but now that I have room for two more I need to look again . My husband is gonna kill me . I have a lot of garden things going on but oh well ! :)

I didn't know about the messages! I definitely will! It certainly will be fun to keep up with each other's garden work :)

The Austin's on order right now:

Scepter'd Isle

Lady of Shalott

Wedgewood Rose

Teasing Georgia

Crown Princess Margareta

A Shropshire Lad

Strawberry Hill

Windermere

Queen of Sweden

& The Ambridge Rose

Hopefully! On the list as of October (this is tentative, since I'm not sure what all they'll be carrying)

Sharifa Asma

Perdita

Brother Cadfael

I'll keep my fingers crossed they'll have them again this year :)

Here's another picture of Laguna, you should find some place to put her, she's been blooming non-stop since May! :) (And she has a wonderful fragrance to boot!)

I got the Zen trellis from Lowes last year and the year before, but either they discontinued it or it sold out early this year. They come in two sizes. If anyone else finds it on the internet let me know, i need more. They are great free standing as singles or two side by side. They are holding up much better than the wooden ones from Lowes.

Baby Clematis rhapsody first bloom

Supposed to be Lemon Bells

Betty corning

Beautiful, Totoro! Betty Corning is one of my favorites :) I haven't planted her here yet, but I'm not sure I have the room either

Just call me crazy!! I just placed another order with Silver Star Vinery telling Debbie that I just can't seem to stop. Not only that, I bought Crystal Fountain (that's Debbies photo on the left). I know I wasn't real sure about that sneezy nose looking thing in the center, but it just seems to be the ticket to go with my JP Connell. Just planted my last order in very wet dirt (read mud) and I had a BLAST!!!

Rebecca

I love it!!! What a beautiful combination Rebecca!

I definitely agree that Crystal Fountain and JP Connell go together! Can't wait to see what else you come up with! I swear you could get a job just combining Clematis and Roses :) Someone surely should be paying you for this lol ...at the very least, your pictures brighten my day!

Oh, Gillian, I am so glad you are enjoying them. Thank you so much for your kind words. It's how I plan my garden. Sometimes I wake up at night and think of something, but most times I think of things when I'm saying my prayers. God is my Master Gardener. :)

When are you planting your new fabulous roses that you have on order? Are you planning on clematis with some of those? If so, message me and let me know. Such a great gathering of roses deserve some clematis mingling with them, or maybe some tickling their feet. Enjoy your garden!!!

Here is a photo of the rest of the plants in that area. Johnson's Blue Geranium from High Country Gardens, on the left, Bloomstruck Endless Summer hydrangea in the middle and Debbie's photo of Guernsey Cream Clematis. The clematis is going on it's own obelisk. I can't wait to see it all happen!!

Rebecca

Lily, somehow I missed your post. I certainly understand about your husband. Mine has gotten to the point of saying, "No more!" And then he smiles and walks away. I do love that man!!

I also understand getting rid of stuff to make room. I ripped out 2 of my 2 year old Crown Princess Margaretas to make this new garden. It's like painting on a canvas for me. If the old one doesn't work, you rip it up and start over. So sad that it takes 3 years for everything to grow up. However, I do appreciat every little blossom I get along the way!!

And a new arbor... what a great bargain!! Good for you!

Totoro, I love your babies!!

Rebecca.

Hi Rebecca! :)

I won't be planting them until next spring, so I have a while to decide who should go with them!

A Shropshire Lad, Strawberry Hill & CPM will be the first to get companions :) I haven't even started looking yet! I'm still trying to get the blasted corner area sorted out before i start ordering lol.

And you're very welcome, I love your photos and combinations! The Bloomstruck & Guernsey Cream clematis are going to make it so breath taking! I can't wait to see the pictures of it all together :)

Thank you, again, Gillian! Those are all three great roses!!!

My area is very small. Usually I add plants in threes, but I only have room for one of each. So it's going to be more of a sampler garden. :) It looks so bare now, but by next year at this time, hopefully something will be blooming and I will be able to see if I did good or not. I got a baby obelisk that I think I am going to plant a scabiosa in so I can see it nod and sway in the breeze. Those I will repeat, though. They don't take up so much room, and I love how their centers turn lavenders, blues and pinks before they open.

So what are you doing in your corner? Roses?

Rebecca

Hi Rebecca!

I love Scabiosa as well, they really add to the cottage garden look! I was going to buy a few the beginning of July, but decided to pass until I see how the current residents fill out next year.

The corner I'm trying to fill in is all wild bush at the moment! It's the very corner of my lot, and my little ones use the path that goes through it to get to the bus. It's backed by a tree line, and has a lot of shade except one corner, which gets full sun. I'll put a picture in, of the area :) I have a post on here somewhere asking about larger rose bushes that will do in that specific spot (lots of wind, very cold etc) ...I've been given so many wonderful ideas from members I'm having a hard time choosing now!

This is the area :) it goes further along to the left, about 15-20ft

Where the small sapling is on the right, is where the single rose bush will go. There's a path in there somewhere as well, although it's not visible from this angle :)

The lower hanging branches and smaller saplings along the tree line will be removed in fall, along with all the weeds! (Hahaha)

To the back, we're planting Annabelle Hydrangeas, Hosta, Astilbe & Ostrich Fern (there's about 4 hours of light there) Next layer in more light (5hrs) will be low growing catmint, lupine, allium, tulips, daffodils, etc.

We're trying to fit in a clematis or two, but I'm not sure where yet :) I need some pinks and reds in there.

Sounds wonderful, Gillian!! That is an absolutely gorgeous setting!!! It sounds like you've done your homework and know exactly what to plant and where. I have a suggestion that you might like. If you place a really good quality landscaping fabric down and anchor it with pins, and then cut holes and plant, you will virtually eliminate weeding. I have done that with most of my beds and then cover them with large pine chips. No more weeding, and another upside is that it kinda discourages things from expanding so much that they get out of hand. But maybe you like that look. All I know that I have learned that if there have been weeds in the past in an area, there will be weeds again. Those little weed seeds last forever!!! :) Just a thought.

John Davis is my new favorite rose!! I know you have that already.

Happy planting,

Rebecca