Flower of Clematis 'Guernsey Cream'

Early Summer Clematis

Posted on by Ann Mackay

The clematis above (Guernsey Cream) was planted just last year. I had forgotten that it flowered early in the year, so it was a happy surprise to see lots of buds already beginning to open last month. I’m hoping that it will flower again in late August too.

The petals of this clematis have a green bar down the centre that is more strongly coloured if the plant has shade. In this particular flower, the bar marking wasn’t very pronounced. Instead, there was more of an overall green tinge which faded to cream as the flower aged.

Like many other pale-coloured clematis, strong sun makes the flower colour fade. So if you want to preserve the colour of a delicately-hued clematis, plant it somewhere that gives it some shade.

Clematis ‘Multi-Blue’

Unfortunately, Clematis ‘Multi-Blue’ has struggled this year. I planted it in an unsuitable position in the hottest part of the garden. Even with a bit of shading at its roots, the plant gets baked by the sun all day. When it’s windy, as it has been recently, it gets even more dried out. Lesson learned! I shall take a bit more care with future plantings.

‘Ernest Markham’ (below) is doing much better. Apparently this one can grow to 4 metres high, so it may take over in the shrub border behind it…I won’t mind if it does.

After weeks of drought and high temperatures, we’ve had a few days of wonderful, life-giving rain. It’s such a relief! And all the plants, including the clematis, are doing much better for it. The moist soil makes it possible to dig in the garden again and I’ll make sure to create some good planting-places for future clematis purchases. There are sure to be some!

Clematis ‘Ernest Markham’

Published by Ann Mackay

Photographer, mixed-media art adventurer and completely daft about plants.......

19 thoughts on “Early Summer Clematis”

    1. Guernsey Cream is really good when you want a flower that’s less gaudy than many brightly coloured varieties. I reckon it has a softly sophisticated look.

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    1. Thank you Indira! I love gradually learning more about plants and my garden – it has kept me feeling calm and purposeful throughout the whole Covid-19 thing. 🙂

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  3. These are absolutely gorgeous blooms – love the images. Wish I had your green thumb! Okay, I know, you really study your plants. Anyway, would love to have a flower like this in my yard!

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    1. Thanks Syd! Though I have to admit that often enough my thumbs are anything but green. Sadly I have killed my share of plants over the years. (But we learn by our mistakes, LOL!) I think the main thing is to try to find a plant that likes the conditions you can give it… 🙂

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  4. We’ve a lovely multi-colored Clematis although I don’t remember the name and the tag was lost years ago. I’ll try to remember to photograph ours to share with you. The Guernsey Cream is lovely.

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    1. The Guernsey Cream also managed lots of flowers – not bad for the first year after it was planted. I have several clematis that are now nameless…though I should have a record of their names somewhere. I’d like to see your clematis! 🙂

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    1. Thanks Tanja! It has been raining again, which means that the ground has softened up a lot. I’ll be bale to get on with digging for all my garden projects… yippee! 🙂

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      2. Drought is becoming a big problem here in summer. I’m trying to grow more Mediterranean-type plants but have to make sure that the ground is well enough drained in case we get a wet winter. That can make things a bit tricky!

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    1. Thank you! I love clematis – think they’re probably my favourite flower. It’s hard to resist trying to find space in the garden for more of them… 🙂

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