This is the time of year when the Atragene Group of the genus Clematis are in their full glory. This bundle of species (Clematis alpina, chiisanensis, fauriei, koreana, macropetala, siberica + more) used to have their own genus, Atragene, and us “clemateers” still think of them as a distinct horticultural unit. In western Oregon they flower prolifically in late March and some carry on well into May, and then many will repeat bloom at least once, and often three times, during the growing season. With careful management, we have April again in August.

We are grateful that Brewster started collecting when he did, and was able to import clematis from people such as Magnus Johnson, in Sweden. As you would expect, the Atragenes do very well in such climates, with the hardiest, Clematis siberica, being comfortable down to zone 3. One of Magnus’ introductions, now called ‘Clochette Pride’ is a real favorite with our Founder, the Curator, and our volunteers. It was originally called ‘Campanulina Plena’, but the modern use of latinized cultivar names is forbidden in most circumstances by the International Code of Nomenclature (or as some say, nomenclutter), so Magnus, who loved botanical Latin, had to rename many of his introductions.

There are numerous Atragene Group seedlings in our Test Plot. Pictured below is one we have named and are propagating, ‘Killdeer’. It gets its name from the fact that in the previous test plot location at Luscher Farm, we had Killdeer nest under it. It has been in the new site one winter, and now seems thoroughly settled and producing masses of lovely flowers. ‘Killdeer’ had an amazingly long bloom period last summer, from April to mid-August.

In the greenhouse (we are about 2 weeks from peak LFH bloom):

‘Betty Risdon’
‘Blue Light’
BOURBON
‘Burma Star’
‘Dawn’
EMPRESS
‘Guernsey Cream’
‘H. F. Young’
JOSEPHINE
‘Julita’
LIBERATION
‘Maria Louise Jensen’
‘Matilda’
‘Mrs. P. B. Truax’
‘Pink Cameo’
REBECCA
‘Reiman’ (pictured)
‘Saturn’
VERSAILLES

Greenhouse Montana Group (peak bloom now):

‘Broughton Star’
‘Elizabeth’
‘Fragrant Spring’
‘Freda’
‘Marjorie’
‘Picton’s Variety’
‘Pleniflora’
‘Tsunami Child’ (very long period of bloom)
montana ‘Alexander’
montana var. grandiflora
montana ‘Peveril’
montana var. rubens ‘Pink Perfection’
montana var. rubens ‘Tetrarose’
montana var. rubens ‘Rubens Superba’
spooneri

On the Terrace:

Atragenes in peak bloom
alpina ‘Pamela Jackman’
‘Ballerina in Blue’
‘Ballet Skirt’
‘Blue Dancer’
‘Blue Jay’
‘Blushing Ballerina’
‘Broughton Bride’
‘Cecile’
‘Clochette Pride’ (pictured)
‘Esprit’
‘Foxy’
‘Francesca’
‘Jacqueline de Pre’
‘Jan Lindmark’
macropetala ‘Helsingborg’
macropetala ‘Maidwell Hall’
macropetala ‘Mountaindale’
‘Pauline’
‘Riga’
‘Rosy Pagoda’
‘White Lady’
‘Willy’

Along the Terrace Walk:

x cartmanii ‘Joe’
cirrhosa var. balearica
cirrhosa var. balearica ‘Early Times’
‘Early Sensation’
‘Pixie’

Founder’s Garden:

‘Clochette Pride’
‘Esprit’
macropetala ‘Mountaindale’
‘Vera’ (Montana Group)

Front Bank:

albicoma
ochroleuca

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We continue to marvel at the vigor of the clematis shipment we received from Poland in late November. Now we are also amazed by their beauty.

This is ‘Julita’ (pronounced “you-lita”), a semi-double large-flowered hybrid that was created by the late Brother Stefan Franczak. This cultivar has not been registered yet, but we assume that this will be done by our benefactor, Szczepan Marczynski, Polish nurseryman and breeder in his own right, who is creating an “archival garden” of the many, many fine clematis that have originated in Poland. For instance, did you know that the perennially popular ‘Niobe’ was bred in Poland? It was first sold in England, but the cross was made in Poland by Wladyslaw Noll.

FRCC is propagating the Polish plants, and we hope to have ‘Julita’ for sale within the next two years.

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Good Heavens! How could we have forgotten to mention the winter-blooming clematis on the Terrace Walk? They do not know their season has passed. Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica, and the hybrid from it we are calling ‘Early Times’ are both blooming like wild things, and C. cirrhosa ‘Ourika Valley’ hasn’t stopped either. Now we’re just waiting for the New Zealand group in the same area to catch up!

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Oregon’s Willamette Valley is enjoying an early spring this year, thanks in part to an El Niño weather effect. Who would have thought that we’d have our first large-flowered hybrids in bloom in the greenhouse this early? Especially after the big bad burst of cold we had in early December! But a precocious division of ‘Dawn’ marks the dawning of the LFHs. (pictured) When this plant has enough roots to fill a one-gallon pot, it will be sold. Hard on its heals is one of our ‘Guernsey Cream’ blossoms.

Also in the greenhouse:
‘Apple Blossom’ (Evergreen Group)
Clematis armandii ‘Snowdrift’
‘Hendersonii Rubra’ (Evergreen Group) also blooming outside
Clematis montana ‘Pleniflora’
‘Tsunami Child’ (Montana Group) (pictured)

Atragene Group (inside and outside)
‘Ballet Skirt’
‘Blue Dancer’
‘Blushing Ballerina’
‘Clochette Pride’
C. columbiana var. tenuiloba
‘Columella’
‘Constance’
‘Esprit’
C. fauriei
‘Foxy’
‘Jan Lindmark’
C. macropetala ‘Mountaindale’
‘Rosy Pagoda’
‘White Lady’

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What with having quite a full dance card for September, our bloom report got skipped, so the Tangutica/Orientalis group go sadly unsung. However, we are having our usual gorgeous autumnal weather, foggy mornings burning through to glorious and comfortable afternoons, and crisp nights. Most of the large-flowered hybrids love it, and are enjoying a second spring. Please notice that ‘Betty Risdon’ is on the list again. This is the plant that was our award winner for broadest blossom last spring. The plant was hard-pruned divided this summer, yet here it is again, nearly as big. So much for the theory that large-flowered hybrids heavily pruned in mid-summer will produce smaller flowers in autumn. ‘Tain’t so!

Greenhouse:
‘Andrew’
ARCTIC QUEEN
‘Bells of Emei Shan’
‘Betty Risdon’
BIJOU ‘Evipo030′ (1.2 meters tall, after the recommended “ponytail cut”)
‘Blue Light’
‘Dorothy Tolver’
‘Duchess of Waverly’
‘Gabrielle’ (waiting for verification if this is Polly Hill’s version or European)
‘Horn of Plenty’
‘Kathleen Dunford’
‘Margaret Hunt’
‘Maria Louise Jensen’
‘Masquerade’
‘Natascha’
‘Sally Cadge’
‘Summer Breeze’
‘Sunset’
VERSAILLES
‘Will Goodwin’

Outdoor Storage Area:
‘Aotearoa’
‘Fond Memories’
‘Fryderyk Chopin’
HARLOW CARR ‘Evipo004′
INSPIRATION ‘Zoin’
‘Niobe’
‘Piilu’
‘Prince Charles’
‘Romantika’
‘Sodertalje’
‘Sympatia’
‘Voluceau’
‘Westerplatte’

Terrace Walk:
C. cirrhosa ‘Jingle Bells’
C. cirrhosa ‘Ourika Valley’
C. cirrhosa var. purpurea ‘Freckles’
C. cirrhosa var. purpurea ‘Lansdowne Gem’
‘Southern Cross’ (yes, there are a few blooms, but it also has mildew

Founder’s Garden:
‘Arabella’
‘Duchess of Waverly’
‘Esprit’ (has been blooming all summer—really!)

Beech Tree’s Garden:
‘Frau Mikiko’
‘Fudo’
‘Roguchi’ (beautiful with its maple, Acer ‘Sangu Kaku’)
C. terniflora
C. terniflora ‘Variegata’

Historic Garden:
Bed B
Clematis crispa (nearly white form)
‘Fairy Queen’
‘Ramona’

Bed C
‘Belle Nantaise’ (as you see, not open enough yet to show the “Nantaise droop”)
‘Daniel Deronda’
C. heracleifolia
‘Madame Baron-Veillard’
‘Royal Velours’

Bed D
‘Etoile Violette’
‘Lady Betty Balfour’

Bed F
‘Lawsoniana’

Bed G
‘Mrs. Cholmondeley’

Bed H
‘Candida’
C. crispa (typical form)
‘Perle d’Azur’
‘Proteus’

Front Bank:
‘Gravetye Beauty’
‘Lady Bird Johnson’
‘Queen of Holland’
C. texensis

Last but not least: in the test plot we have some very interesting seedlings. The one pictured here, named ‘Honcho’ by Brewster, is a sibling of our Integrifolia Group introduction ‘Skylark’. The term honcho is American slang for someone large and in-charge, as in “Who does he think he is, the head honcho?” Notice the broad sepals, mid-blue color, and large foliage. We will be registering and introducing this plant soon.

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