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 10, 2024: Welcome to Spring! We have 26 clematis in bloom, mainly in the section Atragene, which includes many fabulous hybrids of Clematis alpina, macropetala, and blooming slightly later, C. koreana. Also offering fuzzy flowers to the spring sun are those children of the Virginia shale barrens, in the C. integrifolia group of non-climbers. Many in the Montana horticultural group are budded up, but none truly open yet.
For those of you on Facebook, look for us at Rogerson Clematis Garden, and we’re on Instagram at @rogersonclematis as well as Rogerson Clematis Garden.
Purchase clematis onsite Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Saturday, 10:00am-2:00pm. Visit CLEMATIS SALES for all the information.
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
A solo image of one of hundreds of flowers on Clematis alpina ‘Pamela Jackman’ in Bed 21.
‘Blue Dancer’, with its extra long sepals, is in bloom in Bed 23.
Notice how thoroughly ‘Markham’s Pink’ blooms from the ground up. And it will do this again in August…it’s a dependable rebloomer.
No, this isn’t a clematis. This is Paeonia cambessedessii blooming dependably on the Front Bank, Bed 14.
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
Nothing in bloom
ROW 9, Profuse flowering clematis (C. viticella and C. texensis hybrids)
Nothing in bloom
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
Japanese species Clematis fauriei (pronounced four-ee-eye) has been widely used in hybridizing. Bed 3, and easily seen from the driveway
BED 1
Nothing in bloom
BED 2
Nothing in bloom
BED 3
Clematis fauriei
BED 4
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 chickens. Step down to the greenhouse level and walk back toward the farmhouse, which will end the Bed 4 loop.
Nothing in bloom
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’
Japanese hybrid ‘Utsusemi’ is already in bloom! Tiny, but a jewel none the less.
Heirloom Garden
Clematis macropetala is a sheet of amethyst and sapphire. Its companion is Weigela florida var. variegata. Bed 10
BED 5
Nothing in bloom
BED 6
‘Duchess of Edinburgh’
BED 7
Clematis alpina
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
Clematis coactilis is native to the shale barrens of eastern Virginia.
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.
BED 14
Walking from the driveway west: C. viticaulis, C. ochroleuca, C. coactilis, C. fremontii (pale form)
Clematis viticaulis grows on slightly more calciferous shale.
What the shale looks like where Clematis viticaulis grows.
The Baltic Border
BED 15
Nothing in bloom
The Founder’s Garden
BED 16
‘Clochette Pride’ (two specimens), C. macropetala ‘Wesselton’ (three specimens, all in the ground), C. macropetala ‘Mountaindale’ (in a container), ‘Sharpie’, ‘Barbara Houser’
Clematis ‘Sharpie’ was a chance seedling Brewster nurtured. Sharpie was his nickname, bestowed by soldiers who learned English from him in WWII. In a way, Brewster Rogerson named this one after himself.
Clematis macropetala ‘Mountaindale’ is a selection of the species named for the hamlet where the Rogerson Clematis Collection spent 18 years in containers at the nursery of Bob and Carol Gutmann, now retired.
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.
Nothing in bloom
Old Poland (the Polish Beds)
BED 18
Nothing in bloom
BED 19
‘Niobe’
BED 20
Nothing in bloom
The Beginner’s Garden
BED 21
C. alpina ‘Pamela Jackman’, ‘Markham’s Pink’
Let’s mention a couple of nice things about ‘Markham’s Pink’: sunproof color, blooms from the ground up, and reblooms easily.
BED 22
Nothing in bloom
The Hedges
BED 23
(Replanted in spring 2024 with Tasmannia lanceolata as the hedging; the Viburnum tinus was removed.)
‘Brunette’, C. macropetala ‘Lagoon’, ‘Francesca’, ‘Blue Dancer’, ‘Joe Zary’, ‘Dark Dancer’, ‘Constance’, ‘Helsingborg’, C. alpina ‘Stolwijk Gold’
We look forward to this pairing maturing together: ‘Dark Dancer’ on the left and ‘Joe Zary’ on the right.
BED 24
‘Pauline’ (three specimens)
Test Garden
Nothing in bloom
Winter Bloomer Garden
Our winter bloomers were hard hit this winter, after days of cold dry wind with lows of 15F and highs of 20F. They are all rebounding with fresh foliage now, but we think we will prune them down in May and let them start afresh.
TerracE
Nothing in bloom
Greenhouse Stumpery
Nothing in bloom
Chicken Coop Border
Contains an extension of our Japanese clematis collection (species and hybrids)
Beautiful little ‘Utsusemi’ is a cross with the sun and shale loving C. coactilis.
‘Utsusemi’ is a charming herbaceous perennial for a sunny border or gravel garden.
Troughs
Clematis columbiana var. tenuiloba, in the big trough (#4) next to the bunkhouse red door.
Subtropical Shade Porch
The plants have been moved outside for the spring and summer.
The Antipodes
This area was hard hit by the brutal weather we had this winter. C. marmoraria is sending up new shoots, but we do not believe it will bloom.
CONTAINER DISPLAY AREA
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 bowl next to the container will be used to make floating arrangements of clematis.
Nothing in bloom
The Egg
Nothing in bloom
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.