Sweet, Sweet Autumn Clematis

If you have a mostly or completely sunny bare wall or fence that
needs some late-season pizzazz, vines of Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis paniculata) could be the perennial to dress up the spot.

Leaves begin to show on the woody vines during late spring. As summer progresses, vines encircle up adjacent structures or mound over a stone wall or stump. A bit of gardener-guidance points vine growth in a chosen direction and, by late summer, flower buds form.

White, sweetly-fragrant star-like blossoms, each about an inch across, begin opening in September. By mid-month Connecticut-grown Sweet Autumn Clematis vines become masses of white, resembling snowfall on a mountain top.

Once flowers fade and leaves die, prune the vines as far back as one foot from their base. But don't worry, it will return to blooming glory again next year since this clematis blooms on new growth.

Visit Joene's blog, http://www.joenesgarden.com, for other down-to-earth tidbits for zone 6 gardeners.