Clematis Envy (for my gardening friends)

Aline writes: You know who you are – like me, you have tried multiple times to grow clematis in your garden, seduced by the beautiful picture of the broad blue or white flower that comes attached to the vine. You dig a big hole, ensure good drainage by incorporating a lot of compost/sand, etc., give it loving care, and then, sooner or later, it rots. Well I am here to tell you that not only does it grow in well-tended gardens here in England, such as these three spectacular specimens at Sissinghurst with flowers as big as your face,






but I see it around our neighborhood, growing on fences, in trees, even in vacant lots! Big beautiful vines with hundreds of flowers. Now London also has clay soil, so I don’t know what the deal is, unless it is the periodic gentle rain. But really, it isn’t fair. Now that I know how beautiful they really are, it’s the first thing I will plant when I get home. Never give up, never surrender!