On Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:44:44 +0100, Charlie Pridham
wrote:

In article ,
says...
On 24/10/08 08:22, in article ,
"sedge" sedge wrote:

On Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:52:10 +0100, Sacha
wrote:


Looks very like Clematis flammula. Sweetly and strongly scented late
summer/early autumn.

Yes, late summer strongly scented it most certainly is. Thanks for
the confirmation!

It's a lovely Clematis and I don't know why more people don't grow it.
Another good,, late clowering one which is more rampant but is also scented,
though not as strongly. Is C. rehederiana. This has pale yellow bellow
like flowers with a cowslip perfume. Both are really valuable in a 'late'
garden, as is Clerodendrum trichotomum var. fargesii, a tree like shrub that
grows to about 6m, flowers in August, smells heavenly and is followed by
china blue berries. It's hardy to about -15C though we've never had ours
tested to that point!

Thanks for those tips, Sacha. I don't have a garden big enough for
the Clerodendrum trichotomum but it sounds wonderful. The C.flammula
in my pic is growing round a short fence. I'm wondering if this is a
self-supporting shrubby plant or if it needs to grow round something?
Also, my garden is surrounded by trees and/or buildings and gets good
sunlight but only perhaps 30% of the daily arc in any one position. Is
that enough sun, do you think, for the clematis?

Charlie can answer those questions more precisely than I can. But it does
need some support. Ours is growing up one pillar of a pergola and while it
gets plenty of sun and light, it is also situated where it is surrounded by
greenhouses on two sides, the remainder of the pergola stretching down a
path on the other and a couple of large trees and a yew hedge on the fourth.
So I'd guess yours is going to be okay.



Clematis flammula comes from the med, it is a large almost rampant
climber it can happily grow side ways or up or both and can be pruned
back each winter but I would exercise caution as they can be killed with
too harsh a treatment at the wrong time, wait till you see signs of new
growth and cut back to that. It can be short lived especially on good
soil with a good moisture supply so although like all clematis it needs
water to establish, after that treat it mean! no food or water.
To flower really well it needs maximum sun but like most plants it will
put up with less.
If it dies suddenly for no apparent reason, thats normal! so save seed
(they are easy from seed)

- thanks for the detail From what you say I suspect this garden
(Normandie) might be cursed by too much rain and half-decent soil, but
I'm tempted to try it anyway.
Other than by moving other plants (which I might just end up doing) I
don't think I've much free climbing space but - and I hope this isn't
a stupid question - is there any future in trying to grow a climber as
a self-intertwining medium sized bushy shrub by providing some sort of
support structure? I'm thinking of a circle of thin fencing planks
set into a circle of about 2 feet in diameter, 2 feet high.

In article , sedge says...
- thanks for the detail From what you say I suspect this garden
(Normandie) might be cursed by too much rain and half-decent soil, but
I'm tempted to try it anyway.
Other than by moving other plants (which I might just end up doing) I
don't think I've much free climbing space but - and I hope this isn't
a stupid question - is there any future in trying to grow a climber as
a self-intertwining medium sized bushy shrub by providing some sort of
support structure? I'm thinking of a circle of thin fencing planks
set into a circle of about 2 feet in diameter, 2 feet high.




They will certainly mound up over structures although I think 2x2' a bit
stingy! 4x4 may be more realistic.
It would be quite happy to grow into and with other climbers and will do
them no harm.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea