From the 2008 catalog

Clematis vines are spectacular in bloom, some varieties yielding not only a primary season of bloom but also a later, lesser flush of flowers, and their seed heads can be very attractive. They provide vertical accents in our gardens as well as cover for less than attractive spots—think chain link fences! Additionally, some clematis are happy to drape over walls or ramble as ground covers. They can produce large (4–6”) flowers or masses of tiny flowers, and the vines vary in potential height from under 4’ to over 25’. They are hardy and long-lived plants.

How They Climb

The vines climb by twisting leaf stems around a support such as a trellis, open-frame obelisk or tuteur. Any frame over 1/2” around is too large for the stems to grasp, but larger frames can be adapted by using netting, wire or string. Since clematis vines vary in height, more than one type can be grown together on a trellis, possibly with different flowering times, with a shorter-growing variety covering the bare lower stems of a leggy taller one.

Traditionally, roses are used as a living host for clematis, and viburnums, barberries, smokebush and cotoneaster are also possibilities. If using a shrub as a support, plant the clematis about two feet away and guide it into the rose/shrub so that the clematis won’t be in competition with the host plant for water and nutrients.

Planting

Clematis should be planted in the spring, in a generous-sized hole with good soil and added compost. Set the plant in the hole about two inches deeper than it was grown in the pot; this encourages new stems. Use a 2–4” mulch, being careful to keep the mulch well back from the stems, and be sure the plant gets plenty of water.

All clematis, young and mature, need lots of water—some growers recommend a minimum of one gallon per week to as much as four gallons per week for each plant.

Pruning

The pruning of clematis seems to be a hang-up for some gardeners. Clematis are divided into groups by pruning needs and time of bloom.

Group I — Large-flowered clematis. Divided into A: early blooming, and B: late blooming.

Group II — Small-flowered clematis. Divided into A: early blooming, and B: late blooming.

Group IA, the early, large-flowered clematis, benefits from light pruning in early spring when the buds begin to swell. Starting at the top and working down, take out dead growth and trim shoots back to the first pair of strong buds. If you have a tangle of stems at the top, prune just below the tangle. Example of this type: Clematis ‘Miss Bateman.’

Group IIA, the early, small-flowered clematis, benefis from tidying. In late spring or early summer, after flowering, trim the shoots only enough to neaten if necessary. Example of this type: Clematis macropetala ‘Blue Bird.’

Groups IB and IIB, the late, large-flowered and late, small-flowered clematis, take hard pruning. In early spring, when the buds begin to swell, cut stems to within about one foot from the ground, leaving two to four sets of buds per stem. Example of Group IB: Clematis Jackmanii. Example of Group IIB: Clematis texensis ‘Duchess of Albany.’

Some final tips:

• Never prune into strong woody stems; the clematis may use this as an excuse to die.
• Do not prune in the fall.
• Save the tag that comes with your plant. It should tell you when your variety blooms and suggest pruning times.

We heard folks were getting their tomato seed catalogs, and were anxious to know what we would have this year before they decided what kinds to grow from seed. So here’s our list, most of which is the same as last year’s.

I’ve included descriptions for the nine varieties that are new at the sale this year. All others can be found in th 2008 catalog.

All of our tomatoes are indeterminate unless noted otherwise.

HEIRLOOMS

Aunt Ginny’s Purple — High yields of 12- to 16-ounce deep pink tomatoes. Smooth, juicy beefsteaks with very little cracking on potato-leaf plants. 85 days. –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Aunt Ruby’s German Green –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Black Cherry –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Black Ethiopian –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Black Krim –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Bloody Butcher — four plants in a pack $2.00

Boxcar Willie –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Brandywine –four plants in a pack $2.50 (organic)

Brandywine –in a 3.5″ pot $2.00 (organic)

Brandywine –in a 6″ patio-ready pot $15.00

Brandywine, Yellow –four plants in a pack $2.50 (organic)

Caspian Pink –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Cherokee Purple –four plants in a pack $2.00

Christmas Grape –four plants in a pack $2.50 (organic)

Costoluto Genovese –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Coyote –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Czech Bush –four plants in a pack $2.50 (organic)

Dad’s Sunset –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Early Annie — A short heirloom variety that produces 3″, round, meaty fruits with few seeds. Particularly good for canning. Determinate. 60 days. –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Federle –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Fourth of July –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Garden Peach –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Grandpa’s Minnesota — Prolific heirloom with red, 1″ cherries that have a mild sweet flavor. 75 days (some sources say fewer days). –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Green Sausage. Determinate, 75-80 days. –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Green Zebra –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Hillbilly Potato Leaf –four plants in a pack $2.50 (organic)

Isis Candy Cherry –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50 (organic)

Long Tom –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Matt’s Wild Cherry — Volumes of marble-sized fruits born in clusters; great for frequent picking. Tart flavor early and sweeter late in the season. Vigorous vines. Many modern cherries were bred from this original, truly wild type found in Eastern Mexico. 70 days. –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Mexico Midget –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Mixed Heirloom Tomato –four plants in a pack $2.50 (organic)

Moonglow –four plants in a pack $2.50 (organic)

Mortgage Lifter –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Moskovich –in a 3.5″ pot $2.00 (organic)

Mr. Stripey –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Northern Lights –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Nyagous –four plants in a pack $2.50 (organic)

Omar’s Lebanese –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Paul Robeson — A Russian heirloom named after the famous African-American singer who resisted racism in the U.S. and traveled in Russia, ending up in the McCarthy hearings. Purple-black beefsteaks, slightly flattened, grow to 4″. Dark-red inside with dark-green shoulders and red flesh in its center. Very flavorful fruits with a good acid/sweet balance. 74 days. –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Persimmon Orange –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Pineapple –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Pineapple, Black –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Pineapple, Hawaiian –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Plum Lemon –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Principe Borghese –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Pruden’s Purple –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Red Fig –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Red Zebra –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Santa Clara Canner — Originating in Italy, this tomato became very popular with the U.S. canning industry because of its uniform size and complex flavor. Very productive plants with red-orange, 8–10 ounce fruits. Just as good for eating off the vine as it is for salads, cooking and canning. 79 days. –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Seed Saver’s Italian — four plants in a pack $2.50 (organic)

Siberian. Determinate, 57-60 days. –four plants in a pack $2.50 (organic)

Silvery Fir Tree. Determinate, 58 days. –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Striped German –four plants in a pack $2.50 (organic)

Sungella –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Valencia –in a 3.5″ pot $2.00 (organic)

White Beauty – 8 ounce, creamy white tomatoes are very sweet and meaty, with subtle flavor. Very small seeds. Imagine, a white tomato sauce! –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Yellow Pear –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

Zapotec — Very large, pleated red-pink to deep-red fruits are beautiful to look at. Sweet and mild flavor. Great for stuffing or slicing. 80 days. –in a 3.5″ pot $1.50

HYBRIDS

We mostly don’t carry hybrid tomatoes, favoring open-air-pollinated heirlooms, but here are a few.

Bush Early Girl. Determinate, 54 days. — Patio-ready in a 6″ pot, $15.00

Moby Grape — Very sweet and succulent 2″ oblong fruit. Fruit can be eaten right off the vine. 70 days. –in a 4″ pot $2.50

Sweet 100 –four plants in a pack $2.00

Sweet 100 –in a 3.5″ pot $2.00 (organic)