Monday 19 July 2021

Clematis and More

  I have just spent a frustrating hour and a half trying to determine what my many Clematis are called. I have various tags which I tried to match up with the blooms that are  on the plants right now but I'm mainly guessing. I'm so disappointed that I didn't take the time originally to make proper sketches of both the front and back flowerbeds.  It doesn't help that several of the first ones we planted have died and been replaced by new varieties. Oh dear. I think I'll have to give up on this effort.



 When I moved the pots of Basil onto the porch it left the windowsill in the sunroom empty. I bought three plants to fill the spot. A Hibiscus, a white Carnation, and a lemon scented Geranium.




I had thought I'd plant the Carnation outside but when I looked more closely at the information on the tag I saw that it isn't winter hardy here. Something I should have checked before buying it.

Oh well, it will do nicely inside too. I have never tried to grow a Hibiscus so if anyone has any tips for me I'll be very glad for them. Already I've learned that each flower lasts only one day.  Luckily it has many buds.

It's another very warm day again. The temperature now at 2:30 is 29C which would be maybe 84 or 85F.  Not the kind of afternoon to be outside so I'm trying to get my gardening journals up-to-date.
Later I have a cake to bake for DH to take to Gleaners tomorrow. If I'm going to have the oven on I might as well make some muffins too.  I think they'll be Orange-Date muffins. I think baking will be less frustrating than sorting my Clematis labels.

Thanks for coming by,  GM

27 comments:

  1. I love all your beautiful plants! I have several Hibiscus plants but I'm probably no help to you, here in Florida they grow without much care at all planted outside. I'm sure the care would be different where you are. I can only say they do like full sun. Happy baking! :)

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  2. There are a lot of different Clematis types - vine or shrub, large or small blooms, and a wide range of colours. Good luck!

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  3. I hate frustrating tasks that don't end the way I want them to! Your flowers are pretty though, something to smile about. Your muffins sound yummy. Have a good week!

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  4. Your orange date muffins sound delish. I haven't felt much like baking for awhile and of course it's summer and it was 85 degrees here today too. Although we're supposed to drop into the beautiful 70s for the next three days. I love the 70s! Sorry you couldn't find the info you wanted on your clematis. My mother always had a gorgeous purple one in various spots around her house.

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  5. We have hibiscus here on the coast. They're easy to maintain. But they too are not winter hardy. We had a freeze in Texas last year and all hibiscus were lost ... They are a tropical plant.

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  6. Yummy to the orange/date muffins! The plants are looking gorgeous.

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  7. I have to keep the tags with the plants or I forget what they are called. I take pictures of them together in case the tag fades or disintegrates (as it always does)! I don't enjoy FB but there are some plant ID "pages" or "groups" that have helped me in the past to identify what I have. We grew hibiscus outside when I lived in the South. They needed a spot with a lot of sun and a lot of water, that's my main memory. I loved them!

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  8. Hi G.M....Your Flowers look great inside your home. Hope things cool down for you there in Canada. It is freezing here in the middle of Winter- all rugged up- roll on Spring. Best Wishes. KEV. (Australia).

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  9. I'm no good at identifying plants so I'm no help at all. I just spent 2 1/2 hours trying to register our Covid tests for the trip to London and then another 45 minutes trying to schedule them for a UPS pickup on Saturday. There went my morning.
    Your plants are all beautiful though. I got a carnation or daisy of some sort from Mandy's MIL for Mother's Day. It's outside now but I think it will need to come in before winter.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  10. In our 40 plus years in this garden, we have planted, lost, and replanted to many times that we have lost most of our identification information. We don't even try anymore.

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  11. I'm not so good with plant names!! You have so many beautiful plants!!

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  12. I find it difficult to keep all the names of my plants straight. I know my roses and I only have one clematis; otherwise, I just know their generic names. Your house plants all look so healthy.

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  13. Your hibiscus is so lovely! I'm sure it will do well in your sunroom! I had one years ago and it grew to be a large tree in the livingroom. I had to tie it up onto the drapery rod as it still hung over another 2 feet. It seemed it was in continual bloom with single red flowers but when we moved to the farm, it either didn't like the trip in the moving truck or it didn't like its new window exposure as it then died. Up until then I would have said it was an easy-to-care for no-fuss plant. Once the youngest grandchild has grown out of the stage of torturing my plants, I will try again as daughter K has a lovely coral one from which she has offered me cuttings. She doesn't give it any special care at all and has it outside on their deck for the summer where it happily blooms.
    Ellabie

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  14. I need to do a better job of documenting what and where I plant things. You are inspiring me to update my garden journal. I have three clematis vines and couldn’t give you the name of a single one. Let’s see what did I do with those labels?

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  15. Your plants are all looking gorgeous and your orange date muffins sound yummy!

    We're having a hot spell here too.

    Stay cool!

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  16. Hi GM! Baking is fun, isn't it? When I get started, I realize how much I love it. I harvested the rhubarb yesterday so we have a yummy crisp!
    You're such a good gardener!

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  17. Thanks for the comment on my blog! Now I know the title of that lovely book :)
    Love from Titti

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  18. Your clematis flowers are all so pretty. Do they last as cut flowers?
    Orange date muffins sound delicious!

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    1. I find the Clematis flowers last several days depending how fresh they are when I bring them in.

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  19. I often get lost in trying to identify and to keep my information on plants . Your flowers are all so lovely!

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  20. A Garden Journal is great to have...updated often!! Just enjoy the Clematis!

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  21. I also forget most of the time the name of my plants, but I should still use my special book to write the names on it.

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  22. Your clematis flowers are so beautiful. It's always a joy to visit your blog.

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  23. I do planting grids every year in a special garden notebook, mainly because my son can't remember garden details by memory like I can lol. He says I'm OCD but hey knowing has helped in a lot of ways in the past. Your hibiscus is gorgeous!! I love growing them, but I don't have anything special to offer as suggestions, they just grow for me. I do keep them in pots though to bring inside over the winter. I saw some the other day as I was driving past a house that looked like they were as big as basketballs -- I was in jaw-dropping awe!! I make muffins with the orange flavored Craisins, very yummy!

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  24. The flowers have a special friendship with you! They know, that you know, that they can give love and marvellous energy. The composition of the clematis is so nice!

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  25. What a shame to get the clematis muddled up - so frustrating! I am drooling at your lemon geranium LOL. I have grown them a couple of times over the years (they never seem to last that long, at least not for me), but now I have been unable to find them again. I guess I will have to wait for fashion to bring them into popularity again.
    Hope your baking turned out well :) xx

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  26. Don't worry ... the different flowers of the clematis are so beautiful. Then just look forward to it :-))
    Nam, nam - cake I could eat now ... but well, I'll bake tomorrow.
    Happy weekend for you and best regards.

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