It’s fall. Garden colors are fading — or getting ready to flame. It’s a bit cooler, and the noises in the garden have changed from birdsong to insect rhythms.
In my garden, a sure sign of fall is the Sweet Autumn Clematis (clematis terniflora) that blooms in mid-September. It has become the mound of frothy white that I had in mind when I planted the clematis four years ago. If you plant one in your garden, expect it to take more than one season to reach its full potential.
This plant grows fast — from 15 to 20 feet in a single season. To keep it in check, garden resources recommend pruning it to 10 inches’ in late spring. It will still have time to grow 8 to 10 feet. It likes some sun, though it will grow in light shade as well. It appreciates plenty of water, as all clematis do.
At any time in summer, I like to walk into the arbor that supports this clematis to open the gate. With leafy green beside me and over my head, I am in a little secret world. It’s especially nice in the fall, though, when I am surrounded by all these white blooms.
It is gorgeous – a nice change this time of year when so many other colors seem to be fading.
Thanks, Melanie. I just looked at a photo from last year — and it’s considerably bigger this year than last. I thought it was beautiful then.