Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Climbing Flowers at Lake Mary


This is not a garden blog although I've posted more than my share of flower photographs!  But summer is fleeting here in the upper midwest so it's important to enjoy the color while it lasts.

Climbing perennials are favorites...here are two of ours.  These orangey-red blossoms are called honeysuckle dropmore.  Silly name (dropmore) for a beautiful blossom.  They climb up the side of our deck.

And these light purple blossoms are, of course, clematis.  Each year there are more flowers than the last.  One of these days we'll have to cut a path through them to get to our front door!

I've read that there are more than 3,000 varieties of clematis!   Some are scented and some aren't.  Lucky for us we have the scented variety and let me tell you, the fragrance is just gorgeous.  I've tried to pinpoint the fragrance because it's reminiscent of another flower scent but I'm at a loss as to what it might be. 
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Posted by CherylK at 10:25 AM
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25 comments:

  1. You're another one who could benefit from Baggie's Smell-O-Blogging. Just beautiful, Cheryl.
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  2. Gorgeous. I have the honeysuckle dropmore, too. Aren't they fun? No clematis, though, not yet. I think next year I may have to add some. Cutting a path through them to the door sounds great!
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  3. Thanks, Hilary, and you're right about Baggie's idea...if Smell-O-Blogging ever gets off the ground she'll make a fortune! I'll be her first customer!
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  4. I love these climbing flowers Cheryl, both are so beautiful. I think that one I planted this year is a honeysuckle something or another but dropmore doesn't ring a bell. I hope they grow and I'll show them to you next year!

    Your clematis is heavenly, so beautiful. Does it get full sun for the better part of the day? I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong with mine from last year.

    Have a wonderful evening.
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  6. Your clematis is beautiful. Love the unusual honeysuckle, too.
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  7. Thanks for such a great post and the review, I am totally impressed! Keep stuff like this coming.
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  8. Beautiful shots!;)) Yes indeed, these are my favorites too.;) I have two clematis in my garden and one Honeysuckle. My Jackmanii is about to bloom with deep purple-blue flowers.;) Honeysuckle, or caprifolium as we call it however did not bloom as richly as I am used too; I miss the incredibly fragrant scent of this gorgeous plant.
    Enjoy the bloom and this splendid, beautiful season,
    xo
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  9. I'm off to blend smoothies, today, and will respond to all of your super duper comments when I return...I hope you are all having the best week, ever.
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  10. the Bag Lady says (damn Google, anyway!):

    My mom had one of those honeysuckle vines - gorgeous! And your clematis is beautiful - wish I could smell it! :)
    My clematis is not scented, sadly. I haven't managed to grow a honeysuckle dropmore, but my clematis is called a honeysuckle clematis! It has yellow flowers - different shape from yours. I have another clematis vine, but it must be in the wrong location - it has never done well.... only gets about 2 feet high and has never bloomed! I should move it, but don't know where.
    @ Darlin - clematis like to have cold feet and grow toward the sun. Plant it somewhere shady (mine is on the north side of my steps, and the steps face east) A friend of mine has one on the north side of his house and it grows past the roof of his two-story house!
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  11. Is clematis something that can be stuck in soil and it grows or does it need to root in water first?
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  12. Gorgeous shots and clematis are always a favorite of mine. Very striking and rich colors you've displayed.
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  13. Love you flowers and great pictures. I would love to have a beautiful garden but it's too darn hot and I have bites all over me now and I don't even spend much time outside. I'll pretend I live at your place.
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  15. Just Beautiful!!!
    I have the honeysuckle too...yours looks more "bloomy" than mine:)
    Happy day to you....enjoy your flowers...
    dawn:)
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  16. Teresa, the honeysuckle dropmore is indeed fun! I should control ours more but I don't take the time so it just grows every which way over the deck rail.

    You've got the perfect property for clematis, I'll bet. Bag Lady is right...they do like to have cold feet and you've got lots of shade. They also don't like to have their "feet" exposed so I usually plant annuals around the base or put a pot of something there.

    darlin, thanks! I hope your honeysuckle grows well. It'll be fun to see a photo of them next year! The clematis gets sun in the morning, mostly, but also a little in the afternoon. Maybe six hours total?

    Thanks, Leah!

    Janie, thank you, too!

    virtual assistant, thank you for stopping by and for the kind comments! I'd love to visit your site if you'd leave a link.

    Zuzana, is the Jackmanii a clematis? When your blooms, post a photo! I hope you are having a lovely summer, too.

    Terry (B.L.) Did you post a photo of your yellow clematis? I'll have to scroll back in your posts to see. Seems to me that you have some beautiful flowering vine that was also getting a bit out of control!

    TechnoBabe, we planted our clematis directly in the soil. The first year it grew just a few feet but after that it has just kept getting bigger and bigger. Give it a go!

    Poetic Shutterbug, thank you so much. You've inspired me to try getting better with my camera!

    Judy, maybe we can figure out some pretty flowers that would grow in your heat! Meantime, feel free to pretend you live here. Will you also pretend to do our weeding? :-)

    Thanks, blueviolet! I hope all is well with you. I'm just now catching up on my blog reading...this summer has been busier than ever.

    Thank you, Dawn! Our honeysuckle actually goes through a couple of blooming phases. The first is always more "bloomy" than the second :-) And a happy day to you, too.
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  17. Thanks Cheryl, maybe I'll give them another try next year, they're so beautiful!
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  18. Cheryl - the out-of-control vine is my clematis. I'll have to post another picture of it in bloom!
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  19. Lady B...I think we both need bigger trellises for our vines!
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  20. Gorgeous gorgeous photos, regardless of the gardening or non-gardening blogness of the blog. Love both plants.
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  21. Thanks, Janell! I consider that high praise 'cause you are a genius with the camera, kiddo.
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  22. Glorious. I can just imagine their wonderful scent!
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  23. Beauties Cheryl! Love that honeysuckle, but the clematis ain't no slouch!

    Have a great weekend!
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  24. I'm not familiar with that honeysuckle, but both the blossoms and leaves are beautiful. I don't think my clematises have scents, except for the sweet autumn. I just noticed what Rick said. That's funny. No, the clematis ain't no slouch. LOL
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  25. What beautiful flowers. I've never seen that honeysuckle before. Our clematis is always so anemic. I am jealous:)
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