This week’s veggie harvests have included the first snap peas and Little Marvel garden peas. So sweet and so yummy!

One of my favorite things about the clematis vines at Coppertop is the succession of continual color they provide. Beginning a few months ago, at least one variety of clematis has been in bloom. Right now these two beauties near the perennial beds are putting on a show. The first, growing up a garden lamp post is most likely a Jackmanii with its deep purple blooms.

This pale beauty is vigorously established near the grapevine arch.

Of the dozen or so clematis vines here, we were only responsible for planting three in May 2014 against the garden shed: two purpurea plena elegans and one guernsey cream. These have grown to fill their trellises. The white bloomed beautifully in April and May, but the reddish-purple, although over nine feet tall, have small, double flowers that aren’t as healthy as I would like. Perhaps an application of lime would help sweeten the soil there? More research is required.