This unusual clematis came to me via a mail order catalog about seven years ago. It has had some good years with lots of flowers and some much less successful years. This year, for example, the pot it was in on the patio dried out early on and the vine never really got going. Then, when it was finally getting some growth, it came down with a bad case of powdery mildew.

Despite the challenges, the flowers are very worthwhile. They are an unusal shape and hue and are extraordinarily beautiful.

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My future plans for this vine that can’t really hold itself up is to add some better soil to its pot and a decent trellis to fasten it to so that next year Rooguchi will cover itself with blue bells.