In my garden this week

I have decided to make the flower photos regular postings.

Joy Creek Photo Archive (c) all rights reserved

This is Clematis macropetala which is gorgeous at this time of year, blooming on the sunnier side of the back garden. The flowers are up to 3 inches across and have beautiful sky blue outer petals surrounding a smaller yellow/green inner petals. Later the flowers give rise to fluffy seed heads, like those of Old Mans Beard to which they are related.

In the front garden I have another outwardly similar plant, Clematis Frances Rivis, an altogether much showier beast with larger flowers, but actually I prefer the shyer, nodding cousin round the back. It's more dainty and hides its' lighter centre, making you have to turn up each flower to see it more clearly unlike Frances who shows you everything she's got in the first glimpse.