Lovely clematis flowers
Beware the Pretty Face: The Illusion of Clematis Flowers
Clematis flowers are so pretty. Do you ever find yourself transfixed by a pretty face flower? I have. In fact, I’ve rarely seen a flower that I didn’t like. However, sometimes a pretty face, or in this case, a flower, can easily fool us.
Deceptive Beauty: The Story of Clematis Flower Vines at the Grocery Store
Over the weekend, I made a quick trip to my local grocery store where I noticed a display of beautiful flowering plants that stopped me dead in my tracks.
Right by the entry was a collection of lovely clematis vines. Their lush green foliage and large purple flowers were gorgeous and enticed passersby into taking one home.
This made me mad, and I don’t get angry quickly. So, why am I upset? It’s not because I have anything against clematis – I think that they are lovely and have taken some photos of them throughout my garden travels including these below.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Olbrich Gardens, Wisconsin
Butchart Gardens, in British Columbia, Canada
Astoria, Oregon
Aberyswyth, Wales
The Misfit Clematis: Unsuitable for Phoenix and Low Desert Areas
If you have paid attention to where I took the pictures of clematis, you may begin to understand why seeing this outside my Phoenix area grocery store upset me. The reason is that clematis don’t thrive in a low desert climate. They need extensive irrigation and attention.
The Reality of a Clematis Flower: A Lesson in Garden Impulse Buying
The problem is, the average person doesn’t know this and envision how nice the clematis will look in their garden, so they hand over $25 and carry their new plant home with the assumption that the store wouldn’t sell plants that very difficult to grow in their area.
Sadly, they are wrong. Unless they possess extensive gardening experience and knowledge about clematis, they will end up with a vine that barely clings to life within a few weeks and will blame themselves for its condition.
Sequim, Washington
The moral of this story? Don’t be fooled by a pretty face clematis flower. Avoid impulse buys and research before buying plants for your garden. If you see a plant that you have never seen before, there is a greater chance that it may have difficulty growing in your climate. Choose a desert adapted vine instead.
For information on how to choose the right plants for your garden, I invite you to read my post, 5 Tips for Choosing Plants From the Nursery.
