Thursday, 27 May 2010

Clematis Montana Rubens

I thought I would post a picture of the Clematis Montana rubens we have growing by the front gate. Not because it's special or unusual, in fact you see them everywhere at this time of the year, growing up fences gates, telegraph poles, almost anything. But it is quite big. Over the last several years I've climbed up this wall  at regular intervals to encourage the plant to grow up and along the wall as it now does, rather than behind the wall as it used to do.  This is the view from behind the wall, where my greenhouse is


I've given up climbing up now, as we seem to have the wall pretty well covered.

Also bear in mind that it's extremely easy to propagate this clematis. Internodal cuttings inserted around the edge of a 5" pot in sandy compost will usually root if you take them in June. I also find that layers root naturally on their own from branches which trail down and lie on  the ground. So if you live in your house long enough you could probably disappear completely in a veritable forest of pink without very much effort at all.

11 comments:

  1. Beautiful! Do they smell nice? They go so nicely with that stone wall!

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  2. Oh my! I haven't seen anything do that here. Beautiful.

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  3. Well, you may not think it's anything special, but, I'm impressed.

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  4. Hi sharon, yes they do smell nice, I should have mentioned that, it's a lovely almondy kind of smell.

    Thanks Jess

    Hi GSS and Louise - Thanks for reminding me that people here are from all over the place, and what's common to me is unusual over there, and no doubt, vice versa!

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  5. The Clematis looks so beautiful...I can almost smell it !

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  6. Lovely! I wish I could walk past it everyday. I'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to flowers. Does it have a scent?

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  7. Looks gorgeous on that wall. When one needs a quick grower the Montana's do the trick. I have Clematis Montana 'Marjorie' which has half the flower but I couldn't resist her as it is actually my wife's name.

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  8. Hi granny - thanks, the smell is lovely

    Hi Thomas - A lovely smell of almonds

    Hi Doc - There's a Marjorie nearby, indeed lovely, but as you say, not so vigorous.

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  9. Maybe not special where you live, but here in Texas where it is so very hot 2/3 of the year, Clematis are difficult to grow. You don't see them often here and you surely don't see them of that size here! Yours is gorgeous.

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  10. Hi Texan, thanks for that, it's a consolation to us to know there's a down side to all that wonderful sunny weather,;) could you send us some over please, it's the 1st June and drizzly and cold today!

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