Blog before bedtime

A disappointing day – heavy showers made it difficult to do any real work in the garden. However, I did manage to transplant a clematis (blue ‘Perle d’Azur’, still one of the best), and hopefully the continuing wet will help it establish. I paid less than £10 for this plant recently – that’s cheap for a clematis. It’s a puny thing at the moment, so it may be a year or so before it puts on anything like a passable display, though it should appreciate the cool spot I have chosen for it – and my limy soil.

Clematis 'Perle d'Azur'

Clematis can take a while to settle, in my experience, and it’s often worth forking out the extra for a more mature plant that’s more robust. ‘Fireworks’, which I tried a few years ago, foundered, a great pity: it’s one of my favourites, and I shall try it again if I can find a good specimen.