FJ, great that you heard from Jerome from Koi Gardens and that he is willing to allow you to choose from what he has or to wait until spring when the selection is better. I have both Proteus and Purpurea Plena Elegans and love them both. I get double blooms on old wood on Proteus and single blooms on new wood. PPE is one great clematis if you like the color. I personally do and equate it to Mary Rose in terms of form. I love the pictures of Belle of Woking but have never grown it--ordered it but was sent Duchess of Albany instead. The only bad thing about most type IIs that I can say (and that would include Belle of Woking, Crystal Fountain, Proteus, Empress, etc.) is that they don't do well for me over the course of the hot summer here in NC zone 7a. They do great in spring, but tend to brown out in the heat of the summer. I can't imagine they would react any differently in zone 9b. I am also sure that what they are selling as paniculata is actually clematis terniflora or sweet autumn clematis, a weedy seedy plant in my garden that is grossly overused. Clematis paniculata is actually an evergreen species clematis from New Zealand and not typically offered here in the US.

Now that does my heart good! In the midst of a terrible travesty of an order from the now defunct Chalk Hills, I am g;lad to hear that Jerome has ethics. Excellent!
kay

Thanks Miguel.

Your information helps a lot. I also send you an email regarding the size of the clematis. I would appreciate your input on that one too.

FJ

Your email was answered FJ.

I love flowers on Killian Donahue- they appear to be multicolored and changeable as season progresses. Majority of people who sees it comments very highly. It is not a tall clem, pretty compact.
I grow Purpurea Plena Elegans and it does well even on north wall of the house, outside petals of the flower fade to fluffy balls and it prolongs beauty of the plant.

Purpurea Plena Elegans came as a mislabeled plant to my gardens but I love it.
Grew it in a large pot for two years and moved it to a fence this fall. As a second year plant it covered the 5 foot trellis and bloomed all summer even in a semi-shaded area. My viticellas have been vigorous growers with profuse blossoms.