THE BEST CLEMATIS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF

I have a bit of a love affair with clematis going. I can't explain this, other than by saying I find them to be very satisfying plants to grow. And I'm not alone. As I read and learn more about this great family of plants, I discover that there are a lot of people who are under its spell. And I've seen a common theme: The love affair often starts with the bold, blousy, in-your-face types and moves to the smaller flowered varieties, the veritable shy, but smart and good looking kids in the corner of the clematis class.

Clematis (I'm using that in the plural form and here's why) are known as the "Queen of the Climbers" and for good reason: There's a climbing clematis that will put on a great show for almost any spot in any garden. But here's a little secret: Some of the best clematis aren't climbers at all.

I've got clematis growing up trellises, poles, up trees and through shrubs, but look a little lower and you'll find some of my favorites, the non-vining varieties.

Right about now you may be thinking: "What is the point of a clematis that doesn't climb?" And if you're thinking of clematis in the typical sense, this makes sense. So stop thinking about them as clematis. Think of them as you might any other perennial, although one that blooms for an incredibly long period and gets on well with its neighbors.

These non-vining clematis can be staked, or rather corralled, a couple feet and then allowed to spill over the top if you want a little bit of height, but they can also be allowed to just scramble at will, which is how I usually grow them.

'Sapphire Indigo' has blooms that just last and last even while more come.

'Sapphire Indigo' is perhaps my favorite clematis in the garden (after, perhaps, the more typical 'Guernsey Cream'). The color is otherworldly: truly the color of a deep blue sapphire gemstone, although occasionally ranging toward purple. Its flowers, which keep coming in waves for weeks and last for ages before fading, are probably 3 inches across, but seem to cover the plant. I planted it along the short terrace wall off the deck, where I encourage it to flop over and it seems happy to oblige. It mixes nicely with the nearly 'Honey Bun' Oso Easy roses and is great with nearby chartreuse foliage. But it's not in your face. A garden visitor last weekend spotted a climbing rose from the moment she walked into the garden but I had to point 'Sapphire Indigo' out to her before she spotted it.

To me, that's part of the charm. I'm all for bold plants, but you need special little spots in the garden that maybe aren't appreciated at first glance. It encourages lingering, and if gardens weren't meant for lingering than I don't know any place that is.

This pink clematis won't catch your eye from across the garden and that's part of its charm.

On the other end of the wall, a pink non-viner is equally charming, although its flowers are large open bells. It's killing me that I cannot come up with its name right now, but I have it somewhere.

Recta 'Pamela' allowed to ramble through the border.

Both of these have stems that are 3 feet at the longest, and probably shorter, but I've also grown larger clematis as sprawlers, including recta 'Pamela', which has tiny white flowers and 6-foot long stems. ('Purpurea' will do the same thing but has beautiful purple foliage to boot and I'd recommend that one as an alternative.) This is one that I tend to collect into some kind of staked situation for the first couple feet and then allow it to flop wherever it likes. It's almost ethereal. Unfortunately there's no sign of growth on this one this year, a situation I cannot explain. I've not given up on it entirely, however. Clematis have a way of rallying even after a year of pretending to be dead.

The first flower on 'Arabella.'

This year I added two more non-vining clematis: 'Arabella' and Clematis integrifolia. 'Arabella' just offered up it's first bloom, a lovely little blue that aimed straight for the nearby 'Paprika' rose as though it knew it was destined for great color combinations. Integrifolia will be a dainty little guy that I put front and center off the patio so it won't be missed.

I've seen a lot of people lament that they can't grow clematis, and I will bet that most of the time it's the large-flowered Group 2 types that they have issues with. They can be a little tempermental, not to mention that they have confusing pruning rules associated with them. All of the non-viners are Group 3 pruners, meaning that you just cut them back nearly to the ground in late winter or very early spring. I feed all my clematis with Espoma Rose-Tone a handful of times a year, usually when I prune, about four weeks later, again after they bloom and maybe once more during the season. Beyond that, the non-viners seem to be very easy to grow. I do plant them with compost and manure and mulch them. People always say that clematis should have their roots in the shade, but that's sort of inaccurate. They just want moist (but not wet) roots that aren't allowed to dry out.

I encourage you to give non-vining clematis a try. Don't be offended if a garden visitor doesn't spot them immediately. Once they do, they'll be in love too.

EXOTIC PLEASURES OF THE WOODLAND GARDEN

I went outside in the rain the other morning and snapped a shot of my favorite plant at this time of year. Then I checked the blog because I thought surely I'd written a special post about toad lilies before and I couldn't believe I hadn't.

Truth be told, I had no idea what a toad lily even was until I asked some blogging friends to share their favorite perennials back in 2012. Two of them chose toad lilies. It's a rather horrible common name don't you think?

Tricyrtis sounds a bit dinosaur-ish to me, but it's better than toad lily. What I love about them is that they look like tiny orchids. That something so exotic could emerge from the fall garden, which is winding down in all other areas, is rather remarkable.

The flowers on the one I grow (I believe it may be Tricyris hirta Mizakai Hybrids, but the label, like so many other, must have fallen victim to aggressive raking)  are speckled, tiny and a lovely lavender color that could properly be called orchid. You have to get close to really appreciate them, which is why even though this is about three feet tall, I think it should be planted right at the front of the border so those beautiful flowers are right in your face.

They are woodland plants that grow in zones 4 to 9 and require absolutely nothing in the way of maintenance. In fact I usually forget all about them until this time of year when one day they catch my eye from the living room window.

How any self-respecting gardener could forget about such a plant in their garden is rather appalling, but I do it every year anyway. And this year, like I do most years around this time, I vow to plant more of them, although I usually forget come spring.

Several years ago the Chicago Botanic Garden evaluated Tricyrtis and the results are well worth a read. Do that, then plant some. I promise you will thank me, but don't feel bad if you forget all about them until this time next year.

GARDEN BLOGGERS' FAVORITE PERENNIALS

I love asking gardeners what their favorite plant is. It's an unfair question, I know, and on any given day my answer could be any number of things, but I think it's an interesting exercise.

I reached out to some garden blogging friends to see what their favorite perennial is and here's what they said.

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'Sarah Bernhardt' peony. Garden Matter photo

Patti, who gardens in Pittsburgh (zone 6a) and blogs at Garden Matter , said peonies are her favorite.

"They are one of the first flowers I fell in love with in my grandmother's garden as a kid," she wrote. "I love the way they smell and come back with ease every year. They also dry pretty well."

When I pressed her on a specific peony, she chose a classic: 'Sarah Bernhardt.'

"To be honest, I really love the old heirloom handed-down ones, though they are all wonderful. Since they are herbaceous, how about 'Sarah Bernhardt,' a very pretty and fragrant variety."

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'Green Mystique' daylily. Sensible Gardening photo

Lynne at Sensible Gardening, who gardens in beautiful southern British Columbia (zone 5) chose another garden classic: the daylily. Here's what she had to say about them:

When my friend Erin asked me what my favorite perennial was I didn’t even have to think about it. I have been addicted to Daylilies for decades and simply cannot get enough of them. I started to collect different cultivars several years ago and now have over 350 varieties throughout my zone 5 garden in southern B.C., Canada.  I love all the colors, shapes, edges, ruffles, singles, doubles and eyes. As you can see I am a lost cause. You can find great daylily growing tips and more on my site Sensible Gardening.

Daylilies are often called the perfect perennial and for good reason. Such beautiful blooms are part of strong, hardy and adaptable plants. Rarely bothered by disease or pests, available for growing in zones 2 through 9, long lasting attractive foliage, capable of growing in even undesirable conditions, what’s not to love? There are tall varieties for the back of the border and shorter types to be used as edgers or grown in containers. Some cultivars bloom in July and others wait until the fall so you can have daylily flowers for a very long season. Grow them in sun or part shade using average soil and water. Your best resource for buying daylilies is on-line sites from daylily growers. Daylilies travel exceptionally well so mail order buying is a breeze.

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Jami provide me with this gorgeous photo of a brunnera, which I think is 'Haspen Cream.' An Oregon Cottage photo

Jami, who is fortunate to garden in the Pacific Northwest (zone 8), and blogs at An Oregon Cottage (check out her great preserving recipes), chose a fantastic shade plant: brunnera. Here's what she said about it:

It’s not easy to pick just one perennial (I have favorites for each season!), but in spring it’s all about brunnera for me. I love it! It grows in tough dry shade situations and blooms its little head off for 3 to 4 months with sweet blue forget-me-not type flowers, and then stays nice and green until frost (in mild areas it’s almost evergreen). 

While common brunnera is nice, (though it maybe reseeds just a bit too much), ‘Jack Frost’ is well-behaved and it’s variegated leaves practically glow in it’s preferred shaded location. All this with no special treatment other than an annual layer of compost and watering in the summer. What is not to love?

Here's 'Jack Frost' growing in my garden at the beginning of its second year.

Last year I great this 'Silver Hearts' brunnera and it was truly metallic silver! If it overwintered well this will be my vote for my favorite brunnera.

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Lovely Greens photo

Tanya at Lovely Greens, who gardens on the Isle of Man (lucky girl; Tanya, we're all coming to visit!) came up with a fantastic choice that I love because it's so unusual.

"My favorite perennials are perennial fruits like raspberries, blueberries and thornless black berries," she wrote. One could hardly argue with that.

One of the things she said she likes best about them, other than the delicious part, is how easy they are to propagate from cuttings. Tanya has a fantastic tutorial on the process on her blog.

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Garden Therapy photo

Stephanie at Garden Therapy, also from Vancouver, British Columbia said she's a fan of lavender and not just because it's beautiful. "There's just so much you can make from it," she said.

Stephanie said she prefers English lavender. In my zone 5 garden (Stephanie is in zone 7/8), I have had good luck the past couple years with 'Phenomenal' lavender (affiliate link). Whatever kind of lavender you grow, check out Stephanie's suggestions for all the things you can do with it.

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It wouldn't be fair to put all these folks on the spot if I didn't chime in with my pick for a favorite perennial. There are so many on that list, but for all around performance, I think I have to go back to the top one on this list: Alchemilla mollis, aka Lady's mantel. It's nothing fancy, and it will probably never stop you in your tracks, but it is a great performer. Year after year it just does its thing with absolutely zero attention from me. I clean it up when the flowers fade, and a little bit in fall and that's it. The flowers are one of my favorite to add to bouquets and offers great front-of-the-border texture.

So now, dear readers, I turn it over to you. What's your favorite perennial?

Here are some other favorite perennial picks from gardening experts

Richard Hawke leads the plant trials program at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Here some of his favorites. 

And here are even more picks from great garden bloggers.

FIVE PERENNIALS I'D NEVER BE WITHOUT

I have had a lot of favorite/top posts in the works and was planning to run them over the course of a week, but this is my 600th post on this blog so I thought it should be something a bit meatier, and today I'm bringing you five perennials I wouldn't be without.

These are plants that are complete no-brainers for me and I can't fathom having a garden without them. Most of them are low maintenance and therefore play an important role in my zone 5b garden.

1. LADY'S MANTLE (ALCHEMILLA MOLLIS)
My adoration for this plant know no bounds. It has a lovely scalloped round leaf and a very clumpy habit, so even when it has put on a lot of growth it tends to stay in a tight ball. The leaves are slightly fuzzy so critters don't bother it. In early summer it sends up shoots of tiny chartreuse flowers that last for months, although they tend to flop over. The flowers are wonderful in flower arrangements but equally as nice in the garden where they add an ethereal shot of light.

In my garden, Lady's Mantle grows equally well in full sun and part shade, although the flowers seem to last a little longer in shadier spots. It couldn't be easier to divide, something I have done at almost any time of the spring and summer. It will also seed itself sometimes, but in my garden it does this only in the nicest possible way and is not at all overbearing.

Dwarf Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla enthropoda) is truly petite, but its scalloped foliage is so charming.

The past couple of years, I have added a dwarf version of the plant to my garden (Alchemilla enrthropoda). It doesn't flower nearly as well, but its leaves are utterly charming and perfect for the very front of a border.

2. NEPETA

Nepeta, aka Catmint, is a true workhorse in the garden, especially for someone like me who can't get enough of anything with a blue(ish) flower. There are oodles of varieties out there and my preference is for those that don't seed themselves everywhere. Walker's Low became quite popular a few years ago and I quite like it, although it is not a small version as the name would suggest.

Nepeta 'Walker's Low' loosens things up by the meatball boxwood.

I line my path with Nepeta, sort of a poor man's substitute for lavender (which I've had no luck with in the past). When it gets too floppy I cut it all back to about 6 inches off the ground and it regrows and reblooms in about a month. Last summer I got three full rounds of blooming.

It's another plant that no critter will eat and the bees adore it. I also love the smell of it, making it an even better selection for the path, where you may brush against it. I've also dotted it liberally around the garden where it has a tendency to flop a bit and intermingle with its neighbors, usually creating a lovely look.

3. HOSTA

Given my recent complaining about how I have almost no intact hostas left this year, thanks to an aggressive deer and slug population, you might be surprised to find this stalwart on my list. Unlike the previous two plants, I'll admit, hostas have some drawbacks. But there's a reason that there are people out there who call themselves hostaholics; who have thousands of different cultivars in their back yards. Hostas provide an important texture that few other hardy plants can. With all the bitsy plants with minute leaves, there are precious few that can juxtapose them, and hosta does it better than almost any other. They can have an almost tropical feel to them.

Elegans and Paradigm hostas play well together. In the photo below, you can see a little 'Silver Moon' clematis growing up the lattice in bright shade.

Of course hostas come in just about every shape, size and color (white, yellow, green and blue and everything in between) you can imagine, so it's easy to understand how you could quickly fill a garden with them.

In my zone, you can find a hosta to grow almost anywhere, including full sun. Some (usually yellows) do better than others in sunnier spots and you probably need to water them more, but I'm always amazed at how tough hostas can be.

4. CLEMATIS

I'm throwing this vine in this group purely because I have become somewhat obsessed with them. These are nowhere near as carefree as the other plants on this list, but I don't think they are as high maintenance as most people think they are. If you plant them right to begin with—deeply in a hole filled with good stuff including compost, well-rotted manure and a touch of bone meal—water it well and mulch them to keep the roots from frying, all you really have to do the rest of the year is a little pruning and throw on a bit of fertilizer (I use Espoma's Rosetone).

Etoile Violette, a group 3 clematis, climbs up the deck railing.

Although I love, and have fallen for over and over again, the large group 2 clematis with their showy flowers, these require more work than the others. The smaller flowers in group 3 are utterly charming when they work their way through a shrub or tree and and are so easy to care for: just cut them back to one or two buds in very early spring.

This one is just crudely tied to a stake amid a forest of monarda.

Awhile ago, I figured out that you don't need a trellis to grow clematis. I now grow them up shrubs and trees, on standalone obelisk-type things (sometimes just a group of skinny tree branches), sprawling on the ground, and up the deck railings. I like it when they go a little wild.

5. HAKONECHLOA

Originally I thought I would choose ornamental grasses for this last slot, but that is a pretty broad category, so to narrow it down I'm going with Hakonechloa (Japenese forest grass). It grows in shady spots where most other grasses won't even think about going, but it will tolerate a fair bit of sun as well. With a lovely arching habit it has a way of softening the edge of a border. And it looks great with hostas because of the contrast in foliage types.

'All Gold'

My favorite is 'All Gold', but I also grow 'Stripe it Rich', 'Beni Kaze', and 'Aureola' (all of which look very similar to me).

'All Gold' mixes well with black heuchera.

'Aureola'

What perennials would you never be without? Did any of mine make your list?