Clematis: ClematisGuru's 2009 Hardwick Hall Clematis Garden, 1 by ClematisGuru

ClematisGuru wrote:
Well yesterday was a fine spring day at Hardwick Hall in the clem gardens. windy, but the gardens each have some protection form high trees, fencing or slop of hillside, so even tho we were being whipped with high winds, all seemed peaceful in the clem areas.
noticed henryi starting to bloom on the "clem walk" garden. an early taste of what is to come down there. the clem walk is a group of about 50 clems planted behind a retaining wall that started as a path my hubbie cut into the wild hillside about 18 years ago. eventually retaining walls were built, and as the area was cleared, it was intially a day lilly garden, which soon gave way to the invasion of the clems and removal of almost everything else. in a couple of weeks, the walk will be a mass of blooms, right now henryi is the only bloomer.
here is the way the clem walks looks now. i do most of the gardening on these clems from behind altho some of the clems are easily reached from the walk way.