Re: Burgandy Clematis -Reply

At 3:30 PM -0600 6/11/98, SUSAN SAXTON wrote:


> I have Niobe and it is growing through a gold
> leaved caryopteris, and then into the rose
> "Sharifa Asma" (pale pink).  It's definitely on
> the burgandy side, there is no really red
> climatis.  The only one that's purported to be
> "cherry" is texensis "Gravetye Beauty."  Another
> choice that I've seen growing through New
> Dawn is Gypsy Queen, deep purple/burgandy
> with a petunia bar which I have copied in my
> yard.  Another one on the "burgandy side" is
> Ville de Lyon, dark burgandy with deep
> lavender centers, really beautiful.  I have this
> growing through the climber "Angel Face."
> Rouge Cardinal is also on the burgandy side.

Susan,

Thank you so much. I didn't realize I would have so many choices!
Usually when I get this picky about colors I feel lucky to have just
one. All four sound beautiful and promising. I'll probably try them all
if I can find them. I have homes for the ones that don't work where the
color is less critical. Hopefully one might help tie in a dark red tree
peony I have on a "maybe" list for that area. It seems all these
choices are making me color-greedy. :)

> Remember, colors really vary from eye to eye.
> Ann Lovejoy in her books often preface her
> descriptions with, "to my eye ..."

Some reds and blues are also impossible to accurately reproduce in
catalogs and finding a clematis in bloom at a nursery where I live
doesn't seem to be in the cards. I also find that many
colors/relationships in my garden can vary quite dramatically depending
on the time of the day and the weather as the color temperature of the
natural light changes.

> I have a red maple, "Moonfire" which is
> definitely burgandy red, and if your maple is of
> similar coloring, any of those should look fine
> with the maple and New Dawn.  Niobe and
> Rouge Cardinal are solids however, and there
> may not be enough contrast with the leaves of
> the maple.  Just my thoughts.

I didn't describe it very well but there should be at least 8' of
distance between the edge of the clematis and the edge of the Japanese
maple unless the clematis turns out to be particularly rambunctious.
I've done color repeats at a similar distance with some Aquilegia
"Double Pleats" that turned out to be an exact match to the maple
instead of purple/white and some Knautia that is close but not quite a
color match. Further away some of the purple Oxalis with the pink
flowers looks nice as well.

The whites and pale pinks my hubby detests are actually a foil for the
Japanese maple which is the focal point of the bed. It's a very quiet
space color-wise but I appreciate its calmness and tranquility right
next to the front door.

Thanks again for your wonderful descriptions of your clematis and their
go-withs. This is my third season of gardening and the first year I
haven't spent 90% of my time and money figuring out how to fix my
filthy clay soil when I would have rather been making things pretty. I
really had my heart set on the New Dawn/clematis/maple combo and the
people at our local nurseries reacted like I was asking for the moon.


> >>> Peggy Enes <peggy@unicom.net>
> 06/10/98 11:58am >>>
> I would very much like a burgandy clematis as a
> go-with for my New Dawn
> climber and to pick up the color in a thread-leaf
> Japanese maple that
> is about 8-10' away. (The nursery said it was an
> Acer palmatum
> dissectum 'Ever Red' but mine doesn't have any
> of the reddish-orange
> color I see on other Ever Reds.) The Japanese
> maple gets full morning
> sun and is very deeply colored from medium to
> very dark burgandy.
>

---
Peggy Enes (peggy@unicom.net)   Zone 5/6


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