This is the story of how a DG photo inspired me to attempt a similar look in our own gardens.
Please bear with me as I post these 11 photos to illustrate how I made this vision come true. Thanks.
Our "White Fence Project"
Once upon a time, actually in 2008, I spotted this photo by rebecca101, who is no longer a subscriber:
I thought it was just beautiful how the clematis, Alionushka, draped down her wall and knew I didn't have a stone wall like that so I gave it some thought.
We had a space...
and we had an outdoor sink for washing vegetables before they came indoors. Jack installed the sink but I knew I didn't want it on view to people passing.
So we had a white fence installed to hide the area...
Jack bought a trash can and I drilled a zillion (maybe fewer) holes in the bottom and at the sides at the lower 18 inches and we filled it with Fafard mix and I planted three clematises - Ville de Lyon, Perle d'Azure and Triternata Rubromarginata.
The first one to leap into action was the Triternata Rubromarginata - a tiny flower.
Next came Perle d'Azure...
pirl
you fence doesn't look like there is an opening to get to the sink...
Pretty clems.
Jan
A picture would help!
Believe me, it does! See the wood walk to the right in the third photo here and where Jack is standing? He put down more of the wood and there really is a path there or we couldn't possibly get to the sink.
Here's a better view of the entrance but it was taken through a window, due to the rain, and before Jack put down the wood under the sink area. It was taken while they were installing the fence.
Now I will continue the story...
Here's the view from the rear:
This spring I received a wonderful Climador clematis from my Brushwood order. It bloomed inside so I never expected all the blooms I got, earlier this month, after I planted it in the container to replace the little stick that was Triternata Rubromarginata but I still have hopes that maybe next year that one will grow. The colors will still match no matter what happens.
July 8th I was very pleasantly surprised to see Ville de Lyon emerging through the lattice portion of the fence and presenting such a pleasant photo for me.
I thank rebecca101, wherever she may be, for the inspiration that led to this photo.
Next year I am hoping it will be even more beautiful but I am very pleased with the outcome.
Dreams can come true!
As Bloody Mary sang in South Pacific - "You got to have a dream, if you don't have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true"
Very nice Pirl! Happy BIrthday!
Thanks, Minnesippi and thanks for the birthday greetings, too.
That dream poem , Pirl , it is very true, when I bought my house 9 years ago it looked like this, this is the picture the inspector made for his report.
After my dream of my new old house, lots of hard work and it is still under construction, it lookes like a different house. I wish some of the yound couples would have a dream like I had, in this neighborhood you can buy a fixer upper house for $30,000, and make it nice and live within your budget.
Pirl I hope you are not counting the candles on your cake, count your blessings one by one. Etelka
You've made huge changes in your home, Etelka, and all the photos you've posted show how much everything looks so beautiful and so different from the "before" photo.
Tonight my daughter and her husband are taking us out to dinner to celebrate my big birthday but yesterday we celebrated my granddaughter's 20th birthday. Here's a photo of Megan at 20 and me at 70, taken yesterday.
You are both looking like queens, hope you have a good day, I wish I can make the whole familly a nice meal, with some of my Hungarian menu. This is what I miss with my famiy is the Birthdays and Baby showers. About me coming to build your trellises, is my apartment above the garage ready?? I would be no trouble, just let me work in your garden and I would be happy for rest of my life. I still can't figure out how you can keep things so nice when you have all that ground to work on.
two beautiful ladies. May today be all that you hoped it would be.
Thanks for showing more detail on your beautiful fence. Anything with a clem on it, is wonderful in my book.
Jan
Sorry, Etelka, we've been slacking off with the room above the garage! We've been busy with many things, mainly medical for Jack.
From the nice weather in March and April, I work 8, 10 and 12 hour days in the garden to keep it nice. Now, for the first time ever, I've finished my "to do" list. That's pure joy. Maintenance is low because I've been using a lot of mulch - more than I ever believed I'd use but it does keep the weeds away for the most part.
Thanks, Jan. So far it's been a lovely day - no complaints from me. I am considering new ways to use clematis, as always.
So inspirational pirl! You and Jack make quite the dynamic duo. I love the picture of you and your adorable granddaughter. I was wondering what you're planning on doing with the clems over the winter....will you leave them in their "container" to overwinter or will you plant them there? thanks! kim
Thanks, Kimmy.They remained in the barrel over last winter and will stay there permanently.
I just ordered eight more from the Garden Crossing sale. I have no idea where I'll plant them.
I got tempted too (after seeing the messages on our clem forum) BUT I have 4 that are in containers that I need to plant SOMEWHERE so I'm sort of facing the same dilemma. I'm looking forward to seeing where yours end up....your pictures are always beautiful....kim
Thanks, Kim. Your previous message led me to write up a list of names and where I'll plant them. Two done, six to go.
Several will go on hydrangeas...I think.
Which four clematis are you waiting to plant?
pirl, I will have to give you their names this weekend--from home (I'm at work). I can't remember them off the top of my head but I did get them through Debbie about 2 years ago. I know you guys will know them when I list them.
I also planted four others from Debbie in another area and I will list those too. One is doing really well and it has sweet, dark blue, nodding blooms by the ton. Unfortunately, they are quite a ways away from our house (we have 6 acres of mostly woods) and don't get much babying. I keep telling myself I will do better there-it's a smallish fenced in area (b/c of the deer) and I have lily bulbs and a tree peony and some hostas in the enclosure. I thought I may plant the four that are in containers in this area since it is already fenced in, etc. and vow to do better!
Two years ago (I think) I got in the big buy of clems that Evey set up here. I put Candida with a p. hydrangea and it's done well. The deer munched on the vine a little this spring but it is an area that I am making into a garden and will fence it off. We had almost 6 months without rain last summer so I thought I'd lost them both but we had a nice wet winter and spring and they've recovered. There are no blooms on the hydrangea but I think that's why. I had about 5 blooms on the clem and they were gorgeous. It's about 75 feet from the front porch and you could really see them even from that distance. I THINK the hydrangea may be Pinky Winky.....I look for the tag this spring and couldn't find it but I will see again this weekend.
Drought is not a friend to clematis. This year I planted mine with reconstituted water crystals just in case it was too dry here but our irrigation system takes care of the property even when we don't get enough rain.
I do have experience with deer, though I wish I didn't. They love tender new growth on many plants and clematis is no exception.
Clematis do well on fences so you have the ideal place for them!
This past spring I planted a clematis on each side of this old ornate cast iron gate. 'Pauline' is on the right and she has tiny blooms and has been blooming for the last month.
Happy belated birthday Pirl. You are the lite of the clematis forum.
John
Oh, how sweet you are, John. Thanks! It was a great 70th birthday.
Love that clematis!
I only joined DG back in '05, to encourage others to garden and to try plants they may have thought they couldn't grow.
"You got to have a dream..."
Pirl, I'm sorry I missed your Birthday on July 29th, great picture of you and your daughter, And I hope you had a wonderful Birthday, and many many more. Like your White fence and the story that goes along with it. Sorry I was late.
http://www.gardenvines.com/shop/large-flowered-clematis-3/clematis-omoshiro-159.html
Thanks for the good wishes, Roseycats. That photo you saw was of my granddaughter and I. She turned 20 the day before my 70th birthday. I accept good wishes regardless of when they are sent and I thank you.
Omoshiro is definitely my favorite of all clematises.
Arlene
I love the picture of you and your Granddaughter. Such a nice picture.
I too have some clems that I have no idea where I am going to put them. I have a Piilu that I found on the mercy shelf at Lowes that is doing quite well and I also have a Markhams Pink. I am thinking seriously of heeling them in for the winter in the back yard and then leaving the deciding to next spring...... that should also give Piilu a better chance.
Thanks. She doubled up on courses so now she enters her senior year in college later this month. What a good kid!
Piilu is so sweet. These were her first blooms for me. I put it next to the hydrangea, Tokyo Delight, but she grew in the opposite direction (of course). It can be grown in a container and doesn't get enormous - just 3' tall. Maybe that will help you with placement.
Piilu showed me the swelled buds on March 18th and bloomed June 21. I'd guess bloom time would be earlier in a warmer spring than the very cool spring we had this year.
Per Joy Creek it is: Compact, early, sometimes double but more often single flowers. Then Joy Creek adds "4 - 5 feet". I bought mine at Brushwood.
Pirl, sorry about the mistake, I just couldn't believe how young you look for your age.
Thanks again, Rosey! Credit gardening and good genes.
I look young because all thet porkchops greese and steam from the ratatoullie. Ha Ha.
My Sunset is finnaly decided to bloom, I had two bloomes last night but them darn grasshoppers ate them last night. One bloome is left, so I can least hope for more. The whole plant is 4 feet tall and is getting bushier.
Eating any fat in moderation is good for the skin. A nutritionist spoke about it on a radio show (that was not a commercial).
Grasshoppers beware! Etelka is out, armed with scissors, and ready to do battle!
Sunset is a very pretty color. Hope you get lots of blooms.
hey pirl....these are the four clems in pots (spring 2010) that I need to relocate: Kermesina viticella, Minuet viticella, Special Occasion and Dark Eyes. I did Kermesina and Dark Eyes together and they have been outstanding and bloomed proflifically and for a long period. On the other hand, the other two barely grew and bloomed. Pots right next to each other so, basically, the same conditions. We had a REALLY wet spring. The other four that I ordered from Debbie are Florida Seiboldii, Girenas, Rooguchi and Venolsa Vilacea. Venolsa did really well the first year. Rooguchi did really well this year but when I went out to admire it this past weekend, something (I'm assuming a bug) had eaten every leaf and every bloom so now it is a skeletal (sp?) mess. My notes say I planted these four in July 2009. I am going to focus on tending them this fall and see how they do next spring.
Did you figure out where you will be planting the rest of your order ? One of these days I hope to get a digital camera so I can show you what I'm talking about. My Lemon Chiffon is doing really well and I'd like to show her off next spring. Hope you're getting some cooler temps these days....thanks for all your positive comments...you always make my day here or in the shade forum! kim
Kimmy - sounds like Japanese beetles - they are eating EVERYTHING this year. Have lots of "lace" in the yard...:(