Planning a Colorful Autumn Garden

Page 5

Vines for Fall Interest

One vine I want to talk about is Clematis terniflora . It is somteimes cultivated under the name of C. dioscoreifolia, C. maximowicziana, and C. paniculata (enough to keep your head spinning). My vine blooms from late August through September with sprinklings of blossoms continuing into October. This has the sweetest scent, giving it its common name Sweet autumn clematis. You can't find a better vine than this for fall bloom and wonderful fragrance.

Clematis tangutica is very beautiful this time of year with its silky seed heads. I believe this vine really contributed the common name of Old Man's Beard for clematis vines in general. On one side of my arbor blooms Sweet autumn clematis and on the other side of this large arbor the silky seed heads of C. tangutica put on their beard-like display. It blooms in midsummer and then sprinkles its blossoms in with the seed heads until September, when the seed heads take center stage.

The silk hangs on into winter, giving this vine a long season of interest. Some people don't care for the looks of the seed heads, but I think it sparkles when back-lit by the sun. When the garden spiders weave their webs through the vine, the webs add to the sparkle.

Although I don't have it in my garden (yet), Clematis viticella 'Pupurea Plena Elegans' puts on a floral display until late fall, with double lavender-mauve flowers. So, of course, I have it on my plant list for future plantings, and plan to have it intertwine with Sweet autumn clematis, for what I think will be a good marriage of two clematis. I grow other viticellas for summer bloom; they are a spectacular group of vines.

I had an extreme disappointment this year with a new Aconitum because of the horrid slugs that were totally out of control. It doesn't mean I won't try to baby another Aconitum episcopale through until the vine can fend for itself. As poisonous as the Monkshoods are, they are certainly worth growing if you don't have small children. I am looking forward to this fifteen foot vine blooming from late August until fall in my garden. It didn't happen this year, but I hope it will next year. I looked forward to the lavender-blue hooded flowers that should have been there, instead, large holes were left by rampant slugs.

This article is not complete, since there are still many more plants that make an autumn garden special. I hope I gave you at least a few ideas to extend the season in your ornamental garden. If you want to extend the season into winter, I have a few ideas waiting for you in the articles archive.

by Debbie Teashon

Previous Page | Back to Page 1