What's in Bloom?
There are always clematis blooming in the garden! See below for a complete list of this week's blooms, plus a map to help you find each theme garden and bed number.
Updated April 23, 2025: We have 40 clematis in bloom, but as soon as they’s entered, it will be out of date! The Atragenes group is still blooming well, a section made up of spring-blooming bells in blue, pink, and purple (there are white ones, which we have terrible luck with, and yellows, which bloom a little later). The species involved are C. alpina, macropetala, and koreana. Those not yet in bloom will be in a matter of days. The Montana Group specimens are opening, and the first of the large-flowered hybrids, are popping! Do drop by for your first visit of the season!
For those of you on Facebook, look for us at Rogerson Clematis Garden. We’re on Instagram at @rogersonclematis as well as Rogerson Clematis Garden.
Visit CLEMATIS SALES: ONSITE and ONLINE ordering!
Visit CLEMATIS CARE for information sheets on growing clematis. If your questions are not answered there, call or text FRCC at 971-777-4394. Also, for a more detailed response, or to send photos for clematis identification, please email info@rogersonclematiscollection.org
Exquisite ‘Dark Dancer’ is in full bloom now, draping out of an urn in our new Entry Border.
Clematis alpina ‘Stolwijk Gold’ serves as a beacon to draw you down the Hedges of Bed 23. Our new Tasmannia lanceolata hedge came through our mild winter beautifully.
In Bed 16, the Founder’s Garden, we have three specimens of Clematis ‘Barbara Houser’. Two are in this pot, and a third has been planted close by in the ground (planted today!), so we have flowers from the ground up. All are in full bloom.
Beautiful and dependable C. alpina ‘Barbara Jackman’ is an enthusiastic bloomer and rebloomer. Bed 21.
OTHER PLANTS
Of course you can combine native plants with clematis. We do it all the time. This specimen of Clematis ‘Elizabeth’ enrobes the split rail fence along the driveway, the boundary for Bed 1 of the Beech Tree’s Garden, our wildlife habitat planting area. It’s reliable companion is false Solomon’s seal, Maianthemum racemosum. Both are fragrant, so the combination is a delight for the senses.
The Modern Garden
At the end of each row along the center aisle is a modern non-climbing hybrid or very short-growing vining cultivar.
ROW 1, Profuse summer bloomers related to C. viticella and some summer urn/trumpet hybrids related to C. texensis
Nothing in bloom
ROW 2, Profuse summer bloomers and Pink large-flowered cultivars
Nothing in bloom
RAYMOND EVISON HYBRIDS (Rows 3-7)
ROW 3, Evison Hybrids
Nothing in bloom
ROW 4, Evison Hybrids
Nothing in bloom
ROW 5, Evison Hybrids
Nothing in bloom
ROW 6, Evison Hybrids
Nothing in bloom
ROW 7, Evison Hybrids
Nothing in bloom
ROW 8, Double large-flowered clematis
‘Mary-Clare’ is opening, but still not double.
ROW 9, Profuse flowering clematis (C. viticella and C. texensis hybrids)
Nothing in bloom
WE WOULD LIKE TO HUMBLY REQUEST THAT, FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, CLEMATIS BREEDERS HOLD A MORATORIUM ON NAMING C. viticella and C. texensis HYBRIDS WITH CULTIVAR NAMES BEGINNING WITH ‘P’. WE CAN’T FIT ANYMORE IN THE ALLOTTED AREA, AND IT’S PLAYING HAVOC WITH THE ALPHABET. Thanks. ;-)
SZCZEPAN MARCZYNSKI HYBRIDS (Rows 10 & 11)
ROW 10, Marczynski Hybrids
Nothing in bloom
ROW 11, Marczynski Hybrids and White large-flowered cultivars
Nothing in bloom
ROW 12, Red large-flowered cultivars
Nothing in bloom
ROW 13, Red large-flowered cultivars and Purple large-flowered cultivars
Nothing in bloom
ROW 14, Lavender/Blue large-flowered cultivars
Nothing in bloom
ROW 15, Lavender/Blue large-flowered cultivars and Striped/Barred large-flowered cultivars
Nothing in bloom
ROW 16, Striped/Barred large-flowered cultivars and Late Adds
Nothing in bloom
Beech Tree's Garden
The Bed 1 container trio in spring! That’s the large-flowered hybrid ‘Gekkyuden’ opening in the middle pot.
BED 1
A close-up of ‘Gekkyuden’ in it’s Bed 1 pot.
‘Elizabeth’, C. montana var. rubens ‘Brewster’, ‘Gekkyuden’ (in the pot trio).
BED 2
‘Picton’s Variety’, in the Montana horticultural group of the genus, anchors a corner of Bed 2.
‘Picton’s Variety’
BED 3
Clematis fauriei is in the Atragene section of the genus Clematis. It has been widely used in breeding.
Clematis fauriei
BED 4
We are having a warm, dry April, so ‘Asao’ is opening quickly. It is in two places within Bed 4, but the second population was pruned later and shorter than this one, which will extend the show.
‘Asao’, ‘Kasugai’
This is one of our largest beds, starting across the paths from Bed 3 and Heirloom Garden Bed 5, continuing along the west boundary fence of The Antipodes beds, and the gravel path towards the chicken coop. Step down to the greenhouse level and walk back toward the farmhouse, which will end the Bed 4 loop.
Coop Border
Along the west side of the chicken coop and run, this bed faces due west, so the clematis planted here are sun-lovers, along with their herbaceous perennial companions.
‘Utsusemi’, ‘Freda’
Clematis ‘Utsusemi’, a non-climbing hybrid from Japan, bears a great resemblance to Clematis ochroleuca, presumed to be one of the parents. Scroll down to the Front Bank pictures and see what you think.
Entry Border
Clematis ‘Dark Dancer’ is planted to drape out of one of a series of urns along the Entry Border. We hope it will enrobe the whole thing.
This new feature of the Rogerson Clematis Garden is a long perennial border opposite the Coop Border. It begins with an anonymously donated metal arc with waving stems of reeds on which large-flowered hybrids will climb, greeting visitors with that which they expect to see. But beyond the arc are the other forms of clematis most people don’t know about. Large flat panel trellises are populated by clematis that get big. They are fronted by clematis that cannot climb, those that are herbaceous perennials, in all of their wonderful colors and flower forms. A series of urns house draping clematis from the Atragene section (this is the section with C. macropetala and C. alpina, among many other species), which start flowering in April and repeat bloom through the summer. We have some woody shrub clematis here, too! Into all of this celebration of the variation within the genus Clematis, we have added an array of herbaceous perennials from groundcovers to tall summer-blooming plants, including lilies and repeated stands of Celtica gigantea (syn. Stipa gigantea, stipa grass). We have carefully selected a few shrubs into which the non-climbing clematis may loll if they choose.
‘ZoOct’ SPARKY PURPLE, C. macropetala ‘Maidwell Hall’, ‘Propertius’, ‘Dark Dancer’
Clematis ‘Propertius’ is named for a Roman poet, pronounced pro-purr’-she-us.
Heirloom Garden
Clematis macropetala is the first Heirloom to bloom, partnering with the charming spring bulbs of Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant’ (summer snowflakes). This clematis will rebloom in waves throughout the rest of the growing season. Bed 10
BED 5
Nothing in bloom
BED 6
Nothing in bloom
BED 7
Nothing in bloom
BED 8
Nothing in bloom
BED 9
Nothing in bloom
BED 10
Clematis macropetala
BED 11
Nothing in bloom
BED 12
Nothing in bloom
BED 13
Nothing in bloom
The Front Bank
What is a shale barren? Thousands of years ago, Virginia was underwater. As the inland seas retreated, the layers of compressed silt formed these massive walls of quite fertile crevices, if you have roots that know how to exploit the nutrients. The little mounds of green at the upper right and at the bottom of the shale scree are clever Clematis coactilis.
As usual, Clematis ochroleuca is the first of the shale barrens species of Virginia to bloom.
Clematis coactilis is another denizen of the Virginia shale barrens. Bed 14
BED 14
Clematis ochroleuca, C. albicoma, C. coactilis, C. viticaulis.
The Baltic Border
BED 15
‘Fond Memories’ in the memorial pot at the south end of the bed.
The Founder’s Garden
Clematis ‘Sharpie’ is a named seedling from the days when the entire collection was grown in a green house in containers. This seedling was too amazing to be discarded and has now been registered. We ocaisionally have it for sale.
BED 16
‘Clochette Pride’, ‘Warwickshire Rose’ (Montana Garoup), ‘Barbara Houser’ (RCG introduction), C. macropetala ‘Mountaindale’ (Brewster Rogerson introduction), C. macropetala ‘Wesselton’, ‘Sharpie’ (RCG introduction), ‘Moonlight’
C. macropetala ‘Mountaindale’ was a favorite of Brewster’s from the days when the whole collection was housed at Gutmann Nursery, near the hamlet of Mountaindale.
The Steppe Garden
BED 17
This bed wraps around both sides of the old Gravenstein apple tree and includes the stock plants at the south end of the Test Garden.
‘Tsunami Child’, ‘Tetrarose’
Old Poland (the Polish Beds)
BED 18
Nothing in bloom
BED 19
Nothing in bloom
BED 20
Nothing in bloom
The Beginner’s Garden
‘Markham’s Pink’ is on the International Clematis Society’s list of Recommended Clematis. It is extra winter hardy, produces masses of flowers, and reblooms easily.
BED 21
C. alpina ‘Pamela Jackman’, ‘Markham’s Pink’
Clematis alpina ‘Pamela Jackman’ opens deep blue and lightens as it matures. This is an excellent rebloomer.
BED 22
Nothing in bloom
The Hedges
Who doesn’t love a dark, sultry ‘Brunette’? Bed 23 of The Hedges,
BED 23
‘Brunette’, C. macropetala ‘Lagoon’, ‘Joe ‘Zary’, C. macropetala ‘Helsingborg’, C. alpina ‘Stolwijk Gold’
BED 24
‘Pink Swing’, ‘Pauline’ (two specimens)
Winter Bloomers
Inside the Sales Terrace, these clematis are growing on 4’ wide by 10’ tall flat panel trellises.
From North to South trellises: Panel 1 C. cirrhosa var. purpurascens ‘Freckles’
Troughs
Charming little Clematis columbiana var. tenuiloba came to us from seed collected just inside the Idaho border with Oregon. Trough 4, the Bunkhouse Trough.
Clematis columbiana var. tenuiloba Trough 4, at the Bunkhouse.
Subtropical Shade Porch
Nothing in bloom
The Antipodes
The unique clematis native down under, in Australia and New Zealand, have many unique attributes. Even Australia’s island-state, Tasmania, has a clematis all its own. Here you will find the world’s smallest clematis (C. marmoraria), as well as a clematis with no leaves (C. afoliata). This quadrant of the world is often referred to as The Antipodes, meaning the opposite.
‘Early Sensation’, x cartmanii ‘Joe’ (in pots), ‘Pixie’, C. marmoraria
‘Pixie’ is a hybrid of New Zealand species, including the world’s smallest, so it doesn’t climb, but it does flower like mad in April. Antipodes A
Test Garden/Mt. Cuba Project New Species
Nothing in bloom
CONTAINER DISPLAY AREA
Nothing in bloom
This area, between the Bob and Carol Gutmann Greenhouse and The Antipodes will be increasingly populated by a display/demonstration area for growing clematis in containers. We imagine a continually changing, slowly evolving space where those with small gardens will find suggestions and inspiration. Seating is coming soon, too! The broad pale green bowl in the container area will be used to make floating arrangements of clematis.
The Egg
Nothing in bloom: The Egg is undergoing a major replanted to remove Agastache ‘Little Adder’, which has run amok. The more refined cottage harden plants will return, along with the cultivars of the late Ton Hannink of Holland.
Artist James Harrison donated a handsome structure he created using the proportions of a Fabergé egg; hence we call it The Egg. It occupies the round foundation of the long-gone Luscher Farm silo. The cottage garden herbaceous perennials and volunteer annuals (the sunflowers are full of American Goldfinches nearly all day, every day) make a mad display at the feet of the clematis climbing The Egg through the spring and summer.
In 2022 we altered the clematis planting to include some of the magical hybrids and species selections made by the late Ton Hannink, a past president of the International Clematis Society. What better memorial to the man than his plants?
Mr. Western Bluebird is a frequent percher on The Egg, reminding humans that the mealworm feeder is a thing that exists and always needs replenishing.