Clematis from seed
Images and articles not directly concerned with the main information on the site. Click on small images to enlarge.
You can access any article or image even before the thumbnail image loads, you don't need to wait, just click on the item. Scroll down to earlier dates.
C. florida species is surely an under-rated plant!
A total transformation as the plants get into rapid growth, and begin to flower, in the space of just two weeks! It's a very sunny day and the shading is in place. The new large-flowereds (57 plants) are beginning to produce many new blooms and the foliage growth of all of the plants is much more dense than only two weeks ago:
Only a month ago there appeared to be a lot of space but as plants produce more
foliage it can be seen that the house is almost at capacity.
The viornae, many now forming flowers; from this angle the fore-shortening makes
it seem that they are quite closely stacked together but in fact there is ample
room between the plants for the time being. Soon though they will all be
repositioned around the house as a whole so as to maximise the available light
to the foliage.
This bench is dominated by an enormous white large-flowered hybrid, huge flowers
en masse on this plant.
There are several other large-flowered hybrids in flower at present.
A bench full of younger plants, with a few larger specimens tucked in at the
back; also the density of foliage of the other plants generally is evident, some
plants have enlarged massively in a short period
Some plants are large enough to warrant canes and larger containers,
these
plants have been moved down from the benches and are awaiting a placement of
their own in which they can develop and flower.
A new large-flowered hybrid
which opened flowers two days ago
and a new blue hybrid whose first flower is just opening today:
This is just a small sample of the plants in the house! About a dozen of the 55
new large-flowered plants are in flower now, with about 25 more carrying flower
buds at various stages of development. Amongst the remaining 150-odd plants some
of the species are also in flower. In the next four weeks there will likewise be
another complete change in the range and nature of the plants in flower. The
newest-germinated seedlings are all going strong and this year 99.6% of all
germinations in the last 12 months have survived and are growing rapidly, to
provide a LOT of added interest, mostly brand-new crosses, for next year.
A stroll around the house in early April.
On entering, the nearest bench is occupied by a number of new
large-flowered hybrids. A really bright sun is just setting and the glancing
yellow light makes the colours hard to photograph.
The seedlings at the left side behind the screen
(damn, one of my pairs of scissors is half an inch out of position ...!) and
then a panorama from right
to left
where there is a bench of various viornae and viornae hybrids.
The large seedling on the left is you-know-who
in a 20 litre bucket. This bench doubles-up as my work bench,
and at the left of it there are some more seedlings, slightly
older than the first batch, nestling behind the shade-painted windows.
Here is the (slight wan) coactilis plant referred to earlier,
coming into flower.
And then another batch of smaller plants, species seedlings (buchananiana, grata,
tongluensis), and some large-flowereds at the side.
Here is the plant "Moira" - the purple-blue double hybrid - in beautiful glowing
healthy green
and this is one of my C. floria species plants. At the moment I am in the
process of wrapping the vines as they arise - they look untidy at the higher
end, but it is no problem, as, when the leaves expand, the vines are hidden, and
the plant looks great, as can be seen in the lower half.
Here's another C. florida at a slightly earlier stage. All the buds will project
beyond this foliage and the plants will be magnificent in May.
Some large-flowered hybrids - this one has opened its first buds between this
morning and tonight
and here it is - a C. patens derived plant.
Same plant from another angle.
More lfh buds
and more
and a magnificent plant totally full of buds due to open in the next day or so,
these are little further off
as are these
but these will be open in the next day or so, also.
What can I say about this plant?
A batch of viornae,
amongst which is my C. x cylindrica
and cousin var. latifolia
with a batch of five C. freemontii seedlings, actually there are four brand new
seedlings and one plant which Ton gave to me last year, whose flowers I have not
yet seen.
A batch of five hirsutissimas (mostly from Keith)
and a quick glance at the new seedlings which will be very important later on.
Most are large-flowered (or C. patens) x various viornae crosses.
This viornae hybrid now has a 3 foot cane, in a couple of weeks it will be a
mganificent plant full of flowers.
But plant 178 is still small, though in a month will be sensational.
A batch of new orientalis-types, unidentified as yet, all due to first-flower
shortly.
And a C. speciosa, seed sent to me by Gardenbug a couple of years ago. There
were originally two seedlings - one went to the National Herbaceous Collection
holder, the other I decided to keep (I kept the one with a really good scent!)
Here is my new C. tongluensis, this will hopefully be lovely in May, it is a new
plant to me, it has variegated foliage.
A seedling from last year, which I think is C. grata, although I am not yet 100%
sure as it is a little too early yet.
By now the sun has set and the darkness is invading, and the camera storage
capacity is full!
So it is off through the door again until tomorrow at 6.30am!
First plant into flower (in the new house) this year is an atragene - Finn's "Jutta", shortly to be followed by several early large-flowered hybrids.
Jutta (early flowers)
Early large-flowered hybrids
The new greenhouse: 80% of the shading, a big job, very exhausting! but now done and in place, makes a big difference:
Before After
Early (juvenile) foliage of new cross C. patens x C. coactilis:
Difficult to conjecture as to the eventual flower form/colour etc
Seed parent
pollen parent 
A particularly lovely seedling of clematis texensis. The germination time was 396 days.
Item 2nd March 2005
The new house is beginning to look a little more green, as everything wakes up into growth for the 2005 season!
End of page so far.