My two autumn flowering Clematis are putting on a great display - reminding me perhaps too much of coming winter and snow instead of of flowers. Regardless - very nice display! I got them at one of the garden clubs' spring perennial sales a few years ago. I think it was the one in Bad Axe but could also have been in Sandusky. There are almost always a few good unusual finds if you get there early.
I also have a species Clematis (perhaps Clematis virginiana) that I found maybe 50 years ago in an abandoned apple orchard. It only produces male flowers (no seeds ever). I like it but most of the people I've given plants to don't like it - too rank (meaning it grows too well!!!) It did cross once a few years ago with a Clematis heracleifolia, a nice bush type clematis, but the offspring wasn't spectacular, Nice but . . .
I have loads of Bosc pears this year. I thought you needed an additional pear tree for pollination but here are some of the wonderful pears without another tree anywhere nearby.
I've been doing my fall cleaning, house cleaning; getting ready for winter I guess. Soon, too soon, I'll have to cut back the geraniums and lug them to the garage for winter storage. And dig and store the Dahlia tuber in paper sacks in the garage too. Not too surprisingly, several clumps of Dahlias that I left in the ground last fall over wintered and grew well this summer too. I think they were deep enough to avoid being frozen. That was a happy accident - they were extras and I left them in the ground on purpose not expecting them to survive. Maybe I'll do that again.
My Colchicums are starting to flower - a nice reminder of this time of the year.
