Rosemary's Clematis - 2 June 2025

Left Rosa 'Susan Williams- Ellis' right Rosemary's white Clematis

The genus name Clematisis from Ancient Greek κληματίς : clēmatís, ("a climbing plant") from κλήμα : klḗma – 'twig, sprout, tendril'. Wikipedia

My Rosemary had a fondness for clematis. She alone was able to navigate the complex problem of the fact that different varieties had a myriad of pruning schedules. With her gone, I have no idea what to do with them but they do keep blooming, to my pleasure.

When we would go to nurseries there would invariably be a desk with a couple of senior master gardeners. Rosemary would look in my direction and with her finger she would indicate I should not say anything. But I would ignore her.

I would ask the women, “How do you pronounce c-l-e-m-a-t-i-s?” They would invariably reply, “Klémaahtis.” I would then ask them, “How do you pronounce c-l-i-t-o-r-i-s?” It was then that I would inform them that both words came from the Greek and the emphasis was in the first syllable.

It is for the above reason that I smile when I spot Rosemary’s clematis in my Kitsilano garden. One of them, you will note in the scan, looks exactly like a white rose.

Definitely Rosemary was a garden snob and some of her snobbishness rubbed off to her husband.