Clematis 'Taiga' 14 July 2019

Because I was born in 1942 I have been a product (my personal makeup if you will) of the 20th century.

I still look up into the sky when I hear an airplane and until most recently I would stop to look at any Russian Ladas as vehicles from another planet. I would stare at the car as if its very metal was alien.

This does not mean that I have not been quick to adapt to stuff like the rear camera of my, the heated steering wheel and the burn my but seats that warm up of my Chevrolet Cruze.

I have adapted to the fact that I no longer go to car mechanics of uncertain ethical standards and enjoy a pleasant relationship with the dealer.

The smells of my darkrooms (my first sometime in 1962) has receded (almost) and I find it uncomfortably comfortable to sit at my oficina facing this CRT monitor on a sunny Sunday afternoon listening to the pleasant snipping of Rosemary’s scissors in the garden. Her (and mine) two cats are there.

I have just scanned three blooms of Clematis ‘Taiga’ ( a 2017 Chelsea Show introduction) which I will place here with one that I took in June. 

In our much reduced deck garden we are treating our roses (most are in big Vietnamese terracotta pots) as if they were in flower beds. We are planting companion plants in those pots. It is all an experiment but up to know the various clematis have been co-existing with the roses with no problem.

I have never really liked the clematis. I find these vines fussy to the touch as if you break any of the tendrils more often than not the plant dies, or skips town until the next year. Then they like sun but shade near their roots. Being in clay pots with roses seems to take care of that latter need.

This clematis seems to have a long flowering season so Rosemary, who adores the clematis (I keep using the singular as I am unsure on how to make that word plural) may be right.

Tendril and Spray  I

Clematis 'Montana' & Art Bergmann 

Clematis 'Taiga' 3 June 2019