Loving my 'Blue Light'

I not only like the blooms, but I love how many blooms this one puts out. Some have over dozen blooms, and this is only their first year.

There seem to be different variances in bloom style with this one.

here is another one that looks more like the ad pictures

Hey How are you?..Got my two babies planted and they look happy..thanks again..Love your Blue Light..I have two of them and really love them..you are so right!!..Jeanne

Hmmmm, now adding another one to my "must have" list.

Hi Jeanne-

Glad to hear the little leatherflowers are doing well. Some of the seeds you sent me are sprouting. I'm happy about that. :0)

I have a lot of different clematis, but this one is my favorite. I started with two, like you, but then four, and now six 'Blue LIghts', lol...

This message was edited Apr 20, 2008 6:13 AM

LOL..saying collecting clematis is addictive is an understatement!!..I am so thrill my babies have already sprouted for you...you are a great trader and such a joy!!..Keep pics of those clematis coming!!..I find it enticing and makes me want to order more and more!!...Jeanne

seedpicker, where did you find this one?

Jlp222-
the first two I bought were from Wayside/Parks and the second two were very large ones I bought from a local nursery here in Texas. They were monrovia brand(out of Oregon), and gigantic. They were staked on a tripod trellis. They were in 2 gallon pots. Those are the two that are currently blooming with dozens of blooms each.

The other two I just bought from Lowes. They are pretty decent sized ones, too. They were also in 2 gallon pots. They are blooming right now, too, but not as many blooms.

The Wayside ones were half the price of the other two, but three, four, or maybe even five times as small. They only have one bloom each right now.

I nearly balked at the $27.49-$29.99 for the other four, but now I am so glad I sprung for them. The 12.99 ones will take YEARS to catch up, and for the extra money, the others are so worth it. My mother and sister came over yesterday, and they actually asked me if they were fake. They know I don't grow fake flowers, lol...but they said they'd just never seen such a gigantic flower(6+inch bloom) blooming so profusely, that they looked fake.

You might start calling your local box stores. when the clematis come in, they are in bloom, and of course walk out the door very quickly. The Lowes guy told me that the blue lights had just come in the previous day, and I took the very last two they had, so they ran out in just over a day.

Most of the time you can ask the garden manager, and he can tell you if they are excpected soon, or if they are on their availability list. The lowes guy said that he had wanted to order more blue lights, but the week after he'd ordered the ones I bought, it was dropped off the availability lists, so he couldn't order any more.

By the time you take a dinky mailorder 12.99 clematis, and add all the shipping to it, you are probably much better off trying to find one larger locally. I'd say it almost comes out the same, but for a much larger, nicer plant.

That may be more information than you wanted, but there you go, lol...
:0)

No, I love "more information"! Thanks so much! I am off to Lowes this afternoon ; )

Wow!!! That's a beautiful clematis!!

Debbie

I've been meaning to mention that this one is scented.

None, absolutely none of my other clematis are scented. This one smells like old fashioned purple irises.

I'm glad you mentioned that..I'll sniff mine next time they bloom!!...Jeanne

Gorgeous Seedpicker. I agree that it's almost always worth investing in a larger plant - especially when you get to my age. The smaller ones from Parks and some other mail order places just take forever to get going sometimes.

Oh my gosh! That is gorgeous!
Sherry

just popping back in here with an updated photo. This is the second photo up above: progressed by one more week.

They are more than double...they are consumed by the center!

Stunning!!..Are you growing yours in part sun?..I have mine in part sun..filtered light in the afternoon...Jeanne

Yes, they pretty much get full southern exposure until around 3 or 4, and then shade the rest.

We have so many trees that my entire garden can be called part sun, lol...

I love the double pom-pom looking blooms.

You're lucky that you found this Clematis in a big box store, because it's "hit or miss". You never know which ones they are going to stock and it also varies from region to region.

Do you dead head this after the blooms fall off?

Here is a picture of my blue clematis.I don't know the real name of this type, please let me know what species of clematis is this. It has been growing year after year trailing on my lamp post with NO fertilizers ever!!!. In the month of January I trim it down to 2 feet. It blooms around the end of May to end of June.
Regards to all and happy gardening,
Benny

Shirley-
There really isn't anything to deadhead. The outer petals fall off, then a week later the center falls off, and then really nothing left to deadhead...

I do plan on taking cuttings now, though!!

Benny-
That is gorgeous. I wish I could help you with the name, but I don't know...
-T

I didn't know if you pulled the centers off or not. Are you taking cuttings for rooting? How is the best way to start them?

I've always used a coir/sand mix for rooting, but think this time I might just try this:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/617812/

Ok, had to come back on here and post yet ANOTHER bloom style of this ever changing bluelight clematis...

This phase looks like belle of woking!

and another:

Gorgeous...mine is growing like a weed....Jeanne