Couldn't resist sharing my Clematis macropetala, did bad last year, but made up for it this.
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Been away far too long...lol

Oooooh that blue !!!! And so many blooms
I wannit. I wannit. I wannit.

My first roses opened today - but not a single clemmie bud has burst yet. I am so amazed at how slowly the plants are developing this spring, here in No Tex and how early they seem to be opening over there.

Gorgeous clemmie, Terry. And ditto, Maggie. My tulips have only just bloomed, and the rose buds are just about to open. Strange spring.

My clemmies must have heard me moaning - 4 kinds opened their first flowers today!
Is the Mac a once bloomer, Terry?

It has one main show Maggie, then a few stragglers later in the year, the alpinas do the same. I think we may have swapped weather, still no rain here, must be about three weeks now.

What lovely blooms Terry! Is that just one plant? and how old is it? I'm planting my first Clematis this year - I hope they will do half as well as yours

You show off Terry Thornton I haven't got a single clematis bloom yet!

Yes Nicola, but you do have another gorgeous vine blooming right now!! I went into my digi pics file to find a pic of it – so I could brag about it for you . Alas, the pic must be on slide film camera instead of digi. In fact, I was so disgusted to realize that all the pics I took in your garden must be on slide film So, if you have a jpeg of that Akebia in bloom (I think that’s what it was?), please please please show us oxox
Or Caro, did you take one of the brown blooming vine thingie?


MK, what kind of clem did you plant?

Nicola, Carolyn showed me a couple of pictures of your back garden. I just loved them!

Maggie I've got 3 different kinds of Clematis due in (mail order) any day now. Markam's Pink, Blue Angel, and Clematis flammula. I'm also expecting 3 Reliance Peach trees and and 3 Douglas Pear.

I'm not famil with the C. flammula, so had a looksee and found this link on it.
It looks a lot like our Sweet Autumn clem paniculata.

My Duchess of Albany clem flowers are twice their usual size. Think it really liked the mushroom compost with chicken manure in it! In fact, everything is really responding extra well to it. My weedy lawn is greener than it has ever been!

It's one plant MK, and it's been there for about six years. It's on a North wall and the ground there tends to dry out, but it seems happy.
Nicola you should move North where the good weather is.

Here's one of the alpinas and if you have very good eyesight you may spot one of the hundreds of ladybirds that have emerged from their winter sleep.