August 28, 2011 by Sandra Jonas

CLEMATIS, HYDRANGEAS & BURNT SUGAR

Nothing signals the end of summer like Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis terniflora) and hydrangeas cut for drying.

The hydrangeas are cut with some ‘old wood’ I find they hold their shape better that way. Later, when I arrange them, I will cut the stem to whatever length required.

Sometimes, when cut on the tender green stems, the flowers tend to curl up. These looks really luscious…

I hope they stay that way.

The fragrance of Sweet Autumn Clematis is one of my favorites; perhaps, because for me, it elicits nostalgia. When I went to cut a few sprigs, I caught the aroma of burnt sugar… Creme Caramel? I sniffed my way to the Katsuratree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum). Typically, when the leaves start to colour to a buttery yellow in fall, it emits a scent some have likened to cinnamon or cotton candy.

Mine, is definitely Creme Brulee!

With the temps consistently in the 90’s since May, I cannot say I am sorry to see this summer wind down. And…

the camellias are already showing their buds. I welcome another gardening season.

I posted about this clematis here, please read it if you plan on planting one.

June 19, 2011 by Sandra Jonas

SHOCKING 2

I LOVE the Schiaparelli Bench!!

In context, with plants of like colour.

This garden space, which separates the “Pleasure Garden” or Viburnum Court from the Potager, has long given me grief. Originally it was conceived as a Rosemary Walk; a brick lined, grass path, planted on both sides with rosemary. Meant to make contact as one passes and release its glorious fragrance.

Alas, that failed miserably.. The soil here is heavy with clay, and although it has been well amended, it is still not light enough for a mediterranean herb. BUT it is perfect for Roses with Clematis as companions. I also allow some Cleome to seed itself….. Still under construction. …. A garden in Homage to Elsa Schiaparelli “that Italian artist who makes clothes!”- Coco Chanel

May 7, 2011 by Sandra Jonas

OVERWHELMED!

The garden is overwhelming!

Above, the rose New Dawn positively dripping…….

Below,Brother Stefan’s Clematis‘PolishSpirit’

Below,Clematis‘Madame Julia Correvon’

Tomatoes, eggplants & pepper plants waiting to be planted…they are constantly fed Fish emulsion & kept watered..those are small pots & growing roots take lots of moisture.

Seed for Zinnias and Foxgloves are sown ( late on the Zinnias) below

Then there are the onions to harvest….

So, on the way to do attend to all of the above, I pass …

Glorious Deutzia above, Clematis Ruutel and C. Piilu below

Below, another pairing, Clematis ‘Carnaby’ and Clematis ‘Odoriba’

I really like the two different forms of Clematis mingling, as they climb through Smoke bush ‘Royal Velvet’…. Below, Clematis ‘Catherine Clanwilliam’.

All in all, its very pleasant “GETTING THERE’ I designed it that way.

April 23, 2011 by Sandra Jonas

POTTING ON..

Another week has just slipped by! So much garden…so many weeds…so little time.

All the plants started from seed have been ‘potted on’ i.e. planted into larger containers and watered with diluted fish emulsion.

I do love the names on some of these tomato plants. “Boxcar Willie” was a favorite last year, new to us this year is “One Time Charlie”. Who makes up these names ?

The garden continues to unfold. Below, Clematis‘Liberation’ and ‘Barbara Jackman’ mingle with Viburnum ‘Kern’s Pink’ ( It never was pink. )

Showing off now too, are the early blooming Buckeyes. In my garden I grow three of the species. The early blooming Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia), below…

the Painted Buckeye (Aesculus sylvatica) …

the third,the Bottle Brush Buckeye ( Aesculus parviflora) is later blooming, end of june. Too bad these are such neglected & underused plants. They deserve a place in any garden with some dappled shade.

March 19, 2011 by Sandra Jonas

GARDENING TRUMPS BLOG!

Goodness , I have no idea where the time goes. It is already Friday Saturday! This week there was so much to do in the garden. The pruning of ‘Annabelle’ hydrangeas & Hydrangea paniculata, along with some Clematis… Still not done with all the ‘Annabelles.’ Every year I have the same lament. When I am pruning I have too many….when they bloom there are not enough!!

Much weeding in the potager where I am growing salad ….delicious! A few stragglers from last years tulips popping up between the lettuce… and much weeding ….

Spring is going forward at breakneck speed, it seems. Viburnum burkwoodii in bloom. If I could share the fragrance, you would know why it is so cherished among gardeners.

It does get large, with a beautiful vase shape. There are several Clematis planted at its feet. Reminders of a lovely day, shared with dear friends, in a beautiful garden.

The new kitty is at the vets with serious upper respiratory infection…….

November 4, 2010 by Sandra Jonas

REBLOOMING CLEMATIS

If you have been following this blog you know I have a passion for clematis. (see categories)

Clematis ‘Madame Edouard Andre’I was hoping some of my plants would re-bloom this autumn but such is not the case. However, my friend Lyndy Broder has many and she was kind enough to send me some photos. BTW she grows well over 300 of them in her Georgia garden. (I’ll post her garden this coming spring..it is a real treat.) Meanwhile, these are blooming in her garden NOW, in NOVEMBER!!!! (I love gardening in the south!)

Clematis ‘Reimans’, an Estonian hybrid, above, C. ‘Angelique’ below

Clematis ‘Solina’ blends beautifully with these asters…

Above, Clematis cirrhosa ‘Lansdowne Gem’ has nodding bell-shaped flowers and evergreen foliage.

Whenever there is a question on Clematis I call Lyndy. She is on speed dial during pruning season, putting down her secateurs to share her vast knowledge. And I do mean vast. She is on the Board of Directors of the International Clematis Society and contributes regularly to their website. Recently she wrote the section on Clematis for Allan Armitage’s book on Vines & climbers.

To her credit, all this knowledge was aquired within the last 15 years when she developed an interest in Horticulture, AFTER she retired from a 9-5 !

Clematis ‘Ville de Lyon’

All the above photos were taken by her brilliantly talented daughter MIA BRODER.

September 18, 2010 by Sandra Jonas

THE COUNTESS & THE CLEMATIS

If you have been following this blog you already know I have a passion for Clematis .

( if you missed them see under categories) they are planted at the base of almost all the viburnums in the garden. So, no surprise today when I came across new growth on Clematis Catherine Clanwilliam ( photographed above in May) and saw…

FLOWER BUDS!!..

I am so looking forward to this re bloom. Which brings me to my post today.

Several weeks ago I received an e-mail through the ‘contact me’ page on this blog. Cheryl Purdin requested seeds of Clematis Catherine Clanwilliam. Her plan was to have the gardener start the seeds so her employer, who just celebrated her 87th birthday, could see the plant bloom again. It was to be a surprise. Her employer is Her Ladyship Catherine, Countess of Clanwilliam for whom Barry Fretwell named said plant.

The Countess seen above in a photo from 2008, “is a very keen gardener who has made interesting and delightful gardens both in Northern Ireland and in the county of Wiltshire in South Western England.” -Attributed to Barry Fretwell.

Since it would take several years for the plant to bloom if started from seed; my friend Graham, in the UK, helped me locate a mail order nursery in Germany & year old plants were ordered.

So the countess & the clematis named for her were reunited once more.

Don’t you just love a story with a happy ending?

The Countess’ photo appears with the permission of her 6 daughters.

September 14, 2010 by Sandra Jonas

HYDRANGEAS & GARDEN UPDATE

Hydrangea paniculata looking particularly lovely…

taking on its autumn hue

So is Hydrangea macrophylla below.

AND I am loosing the groundcover war @ the Mourning Bench.

Some critter is digging up all my transplants and I have to fix them every morning. I have resorted to laying chicken wire over the lot & hope it deters whatever. My guess is a racoon digging for the worms in the compost I spread.

Perennials need so much maintenance.I think I remember why I thought the vinca could take over!! I cannot spend every day replanting & trying to save what has been dug up with so many other tasks to attend to. AND, I am directed to economise and unfortunately gardening help is very low on the list of priorities. Good thing is, I am getting into shape.

Moving on…

The Perilla I allowed to stay…

MUST be out of here before it sets seed. So far I have loaded the ‘dump truck’ and I am not done yet.

It served its purpose ; which was to shade to roots of the clematis planted around the perimeter of this garden room.; and, with no effort from me , will return again next year so will the cleome. My garden philosophy is to let the self seeders do their thing. I can look after the shrubs & clematis. When this part of the garden, The Viburnum Court, is between bloom & berries, the clematis, perilla & cleome really liven it up; then the perilla & cleome take over & keep it ‘furnished’ till the berries show.

What I did Labour Day Weekend… below

I really like it , It just recedes into the background without calling any attention to itself.

The To Do list gets another check mark.

And finally… more plants I will be rushing to banish before they set their seed. But oh, the butterflies & Hummingbirds.

not to mention I love the colours!!

August 21, 2010 by Sandra Jonas

THE LAST CLEMATIS

The last Clematis to bloom in my garden is the Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis terniflora )

I love this clematis. If I did not, it would be banished from my garden. It is a thug. But so beautiful, so fragrant, and my honeybees are all over it.

When I lived in Massachusetts I planted it against the house. It climbed to the second story and found its way into my studio window and bloomed inside.

But in Georgia it is another matter. The seeds are all viable and if left to their own devices will germinate and take over the garden. In order to avoid this, it is cut to the ground immediately after the bloom. Too bad because the seedheads are spectacular, however I dare not let it go to seed. The one year it was neglected over 30 volunteer clematis had to be dug up the following spring. Of course this does not apply to gardeners in colder climates.

Strong and vigorous it can exceed 30 feet. In the above photos it has smothered a Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans).

Known alternately as Clematis paniculata then Clematis maximowicziana, it is aptly named ‘Sweet Autumn Clematis’. For me this is one of the first plants to signal the end of summer.

© All photos & text

July 23, 2010 by Sandra Jonas

GARDEN & HYDRANGEA UPDATE

It was my relationship with Penny McHenry* that instilled in me the love of hydrangeas.

I have to confess I always found the blue mopheads rather flashy, I much prefered the delicate lacecaps. Working over a period of time with Penny on reinventing her garden, I had the opportunity to observe the plants closely in all their stages of growth. When they began to fade and look like this…

and this …

I was hooked! Suddenly I appreciated the versatility of this shrub and how many months of beauty it contributes to the garden.

The paniculatas are late blooming, above & below, Pink Diamond (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pink Diamond’)

Right now this is a magnet for butterflies and several species of bees. When the sun shines here, the area is all a flutter.

AND THE REST…

The oak Leaf hydrangea turns amethyst, true to its name. (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Amethyst’)

Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’) is that lovely Chartreuse colour, blends beautifully with the hosta. Notice there is no foliage left on Annabelle. The deer love her.

Hydrangea ‘Snowflake’ is still flowering..

but starting to show some browning.

The berries on the viburnums are ripening, these above will be red…

and these are the yellow berries of Viburnum ‘Michael Dodge’ starting to colour up.

More delights, the seed heads of Clematis. Once described as curled up little terriers.

Figs are starting (above)… and below, ongoing blueberry harvest.

with more to come. The late blueberries are just starting.

Ah, summertime!

* Penny McHenry dear friend and founder of the American Hydrangea Society.

June 3, 2010 by Sandra Jonas

NOT A GOOD THING!

I tried to grow some Clematis with Hydrangea paniculata, the late-blooming panicle hydrangea, (sometimes refered to as ‘Pee Gee’ or ‘Tardiva’.) but this is not successful.

Clematis Purpurea Plena Elegans In Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pink Diamond’ ( above & below)

This hydrangea is pruned drastically early spring. When the clematis starts to grow, the branches of the hydrangea are low and bare . There, they intertwine. The hydrangea however, keeps on growing, thus the clematis blooms deep in the shrub and not in front, where it is wanted.

Here Clematis texensis ‘Gravetye Beauty’ hidden in foliage.

Another lesson learned.

‘

May 18, 2010 by Sandra Jonas

CLEMATIS CRUSH

I previously mentioned my Clematis Crush ( here and here ). Beside the beautiful flowers, the fact is they require only vertical space. That makes them the perfect companion to any shrub or small tree. Most shrubs have a limited bloom time so a well-chosen flowering vine can really extend the season of beauty. Also, from a design point of view, any element seen at eye level has tremendous impact.

I thought I would showcase some of the clematis blooming in the garden now.

Clematis viticella ‘Venosa Violacea’ climbing through a viburnum.

Clematis texensis ‘Catherine Clanwilliam’ on an obilisk till it reaches into the branches of Styrax obassia. Below, looking up into the flowers.

Clematis ‘Piilu’ or sometimes called ‘Little Duckling’, an Estonian hybrid with smaller flowers.

Most of the above are blooming in viburnums that are passed their peak. The clematis fill the gap between bloom time and berries in this part of the garden.

Below, Clematis ‘Rouge Cardinal’ being trained to clothe Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’.

Finally, Clematis purpurea plena elegans, chosen to bloom with the roses. Below.

I hope you consider adding some to your garden.

May 8, 2010 by Sandra Jonas

AN INVITATION

To a peek through parts of my garden. Nothing is styled here, this is real-time. Hoses snaking around beds and weeds.

Poppies, from a dear friend who acquired them from a 90-year-old gardener 40 years ago. End of this month we will celebrate her 94th birthday.

some semi double, some single, all stunning.

I spread the poppy seed on cultivated soil in the late fall, after a rain. These seeds need light to germinate. If they were scattered in cultivated dry soil & then watered the soil would cover the seed, excluding the light.

I always allow the seed pods to ripen. After extracting the seed to be used in bread making and saving some for the garden, the pods are used in dry arrangements. This is an annual show.

And there are more Clematis.

This Clematis is ‘Multi-Blue’, the Viburnum is ‘Michael Dodge’. The viburnum flowers will turn to clusters of yellow berries in the fall when HOPEFULLY, the clematis will bloom again.

Another clematis, ‘Duchess of Edinburgh’ cascading through a Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans).

And finally,

The Potager. Growing now, Onions, Leeks and garlic. All the beds are enclosed with wire to keep the rabbits out.

May 1, 2010 by Sandra Jonas

PLANT CRUSH OF THE MONTH

My latest plant crush is with Clematis. I have planted many at the feet of shrubs & trees and to my delight they make wonderful companions in the vase with Peonies.