Do you want a climbing clematis or would a herbaceous integrifolia type suit you better? I personally think one of the integrifolias would look great spilling out of the trunk and you could twine some up the scroll work also.

I had wondered about a integrifolia. But I really don't know any of them. I was thinking maybe a light colored flower, since it's a little bit shadier. Then I could have brighter annuals in the rest of the chest for contrast. Or I suppose I could go the other way around if there was a really cool darker color.

Do you have any recommendations?

Alice, Roguchi is a dark purple integrifolia hybrid that looks great. I sometimes have problems with mildew on it but haven't so far this year. There are so many integrifolias that would however do well. Juuli is a strong performer in my garden as is Petit Faucon, Hanajima, Hakuree, Olgae, integrifolia the species, Fascination, Jan Fopma, Zobleupi, Aromatica, Pamiat Serdtsa, Sizaia Ptitsa, Zoin, Embers (which is pink and not red as advertised by Roy Evison), Alionushka, integrifolia alba, etc. The possibilities are endless. Pick a color you like and then pick an integrifolia that has that color. You can't go wrong.

Here is Ember with a new variety of heracleifolia called Katherine's Amethyst I am trialing-both in the same pot. Notice like I said previously that Embers is NOT red as purported by Roy Evison.

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Here is Sizaia Ptitsa. All the sprawling mass you see is one plant that was put in the ground in the summer of 2004.

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I love the Sizaia Ptitsa. Worried though if I bought it and someone asked me the name, I'd spit on them trying to get it out. What a mouthful! Is it Polish?

I dragged DH to Lowe's this weekend to look a the scratch and dents (after hearing about it from you guys. Everything was half price. I bought a delphinium, 2 blueberries (in gallon pots for $3.00 each!), a few annuals (which looked great) and let him pick out a clematis. He chose the Will Goodwin. He chose the Will Goodwin, which seems like it might be a good candidate for this project a well. I think the pale color would be a suitable background for a bunch of annuals. But we'll see. I'll pot it up and put it in the nursery with all the other babies, and then next year, look out! I'm going to have a lot of planting decisions to make. (There are now 6 in the "nursery".)

love the Sizaia Ptitsa. Worried though if I bought it and someone asked me the name, I'd spit on them trying to get it out. What a mouthful! Is it Polish?

It is Russian. So easy for me :-)

Alina.