Re: clematis
Nick wrote
>
> Speaking of wonderful Clematis, one species I was eager to introduce to
> cultivation is C. elisabethae-carolae, an almost climbing species (more
> of an herbaceous perennial) related to C. flammula and C. recta. It grows
> in only a couple of places high in the White Mountains of western Crete
Hi Nick
Good heavens a small flowered clematis that I do not either know about or
have! It sound extremely desirable.
Thanks for your reply. Can you pinpoint where you have seen it in the
mountains? Can you remember where you were, was there lots or just the odd
patch of it. We would be only too willing to go searching for the plant and
then later the seed. We are usually in the mountains once a month anyway.
Any information would be useful. Seed could then perhaps be collected!
No snow yet, but I love our mountains. To me they are an infinitely better
view than the sea. (No-one here understands why we did not go for a coastal
plot of land) Every day - winter and summer - it looks different. In the
summer the appearance varies from light grey through to sandy gold, and in
early winter it has a brooding quality seeming light purple, dark grey and
sometimes livid purple. Sometimes we cannot see it at all and then we know
that our 'monsoon like' rain is on its way. Then around Christmas the
temperature drops low enough for the rain to fall as snow on the heights.
Last winter the snow was so deep that the Omalos plain at 1000 metres was
under 6ft of snow. I hesitate to say when it looks at its best from here,
but I think when we can sit in our garden the sun and see the snow covered
peaks in the distance, that is probably my favourite view. Every evening
that it is possible we sit on our roof terrace and watch the sun disappear
from the peaks, we never tire of it.
look forward to hearing from you
regards Janet
Richard & Janet Blenkinship
Crete
Zone 10/11
janetble@otenet.gr
