What pH do clematis prefer? I planted one near where we set a post in cement and the Earnest Markham I thought I had came up kind of pinkish-white with very dark red stamens. A hardy geranium and a large hellebore are going gangbusters right next to it but some other things have not made it in this location. I hadn't thought about the cement being the problem, I thought it was too damp there. But this clematis budded out heavily this yr and I was really looking forward to seeing it - red, that is.

The story of this clematis is kind of funny. I got a Van Bourgondien catalog in the mail about 8 yrs ago and thought I'd take advantage of the too-good-to-be-true sale of 3 clematis for $10. When they arrived I was pretty astonished to get 3 test tubes with gel medium in them and 3 tiny, tiny slips of what I suppose was tissue cultured clematis. Ok - I got taken but I was determined to grow them. Last year the Nellie Moser bloomed for the very first time, 2 yrs ago it was the Jackmanii, and I've waited 8 LONG YEARS for Ernest Markham - only to have it come out pinkish-white. Live and learn I guess.