Your top performing BLUE clematis
happycottontail
Posts: 394
in Plants
Am off to the Harrogate Flower Show tomorrow and need your experience to help me decide what to buy. Photos would be a bonus!
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happycottontail
Posts: 394
happycottontail
Posts: 394
Posts
It has to be etoile violette, amazing when in full flower. I'm sure there is a ipictre on the forum but can't find it. have just planted one
Also Durandii looks good
Also blue azur - seen it a Sissinghurst again wpnderful
Clematis macropeleta 'lagoon' for mid blue spring flowers and Perle D'Azur for summer flowering.
Etoile Violette is definitely a stunner but very purple, as its name suggests.
For me, Perle d'Azur does well - http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=365
and Crystal Fountain - http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=1843
and Beauty of Worcester - http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=80
and Blekitny Aniol aka Blue Angel - http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=88
There are some good blue alpina forms but they're not hardy enough for my garden. Have fun choosing.
What shade of blue do you prefer, and what type (ie group1, 2 or 3?) Many of the most reliable large flowered (gp2) types are on the purple side.
^I'm surprised that Alpina forms are not hardy for some. This is 'Frances Rivis' which I like very much..
I find in my garden that montana and alpina get excited and juicy and full of new foliage and flwoer buds just in time to be knocked out by a severe late frost and we always get a -15 or so in late March or even early April that does for them. I grow lots of clematis but not the cirrhosa, alpina, macro petala or montana forms and I now make sure when buying new ones that they can cope down to -25C as we get that quite a lot in recent winters.
Thanks all of you, and it's lovely to have all those links, obelixx