'Blue Angel' Clematis

Clematis 'Blue Angel'

I have only two clematis in my garden. A shame I know and something I plan to change. Many people are afraid of them for some reason, many believing them to be difficult to grow. That isn't the reason I only have two, I just hadn't gotten around to buying more. I do think that some may be a little slower to get going than other varieties but I wouldn't say difficult. I think the whole type 1 2 3 things makes people nervous but really it very hard...really it isn't. The other thing that is a must with clematis is keeping there roots shaded and the blooms inthe sun.

'Blue Angel' has sky blue blooms and my picture really does not capture her color well at all. Really I shouldn't have planted her on this arbor swing in full sun. She is already a pale sky blue color and the southern sun just fades her, well not really fades but she just doesn't stand out as well. I got her on sale from Bluestone Perennials a couple of years ago and thought she would be really pretty along side 'Buff Beauty' climbing up the other side of the arbor. I plan to plant a darker blue or purple clematis with it.

'Blue Angel' grows 8-12 ft, blooms early summer- early fall (though here in my zone things tend to bloom sooner then what they are supposed to), and is type 3 pruning.

I think vines make a wonderful addition to any garden. There are so many different kinds to choose from to suit your taste and climate as well as sizes to fit your garden, while some grow huge others can be kept in pots. I have added a few vines this year to my garden, 2 Confederate Jasmine (a.k.a Star Jasmine), 2 Moonflower vines (which I am super excited about!), and a Hyacinth Bean Vine. As I mentioned I really want to add some more clematis this year to intertwine among my roses. My wish list includes 'Jackmanii',  'Polish Spirit', 'Rouge Cardinal', and 'Vyvyan Pennell'.  If you have any suggestion I would love to hear them.

Some other pictures I have to share today are a group of larkspur and the update on new plantings along the back of my privacy fence.

This isn't the entire shot, what you don't see is another fruit tree and two more knockouts and another trellis. This entire area along my back fence was such an eye sore! I never knew just what I wanted to do with it and for 5 years just fought weeds and grass and ugly. This year I was not going to let another year go by if I could help it and was determined to do something about it. What I planted was red knockouts (which I don't like red in my garden but I really don't consider them red but a dark pink), fruit trees, two black trellises with Moon vines on each one (thanks to a friend who started them and gave me a couple). Further down you can see the Confederate Jasmine or Star Vine (which ever you prefer), to climb up that big ol pine tree (which I see you can't really see in that picture but it's there) and then 3 purple azaleas (they should fill out that area really nice). I can't wait to see how the entire back fence looks like once it is filled out. I chose these plants for them being carefree for the most part. I didn't want to fuss over it and I wanted it to be a nice back drop for the rest of my garden. 

Another thing I have been busy doing is laying soaker hoses through out my garden. I am tired of hand watering and my water bills going through the roof in summer. Not only that but the plants were not getting consistent watering and I think most of the time more water was evaporated then actually getting down deep to the roots. Soaker hoses are very cheap and they do the job. I still have the entire back fence beds and rose bed to do and I am done!