I like that one, Tom, and my niece's favorite color was purple. Fits all around.

Have a Crystal Fountain Clematis on order, Tom. Pondering how best to situate it. The bed slopes downward to the street, faces North, and is shaded from about 12:00pm to 4:00pm, so no direct overhead sun. Thinking a standard size trellis would be too obstructive. Maybe put a short support in the middle where I have a largish paver now and let it cascade. Can put a xeriscape shade plant in front. Or might just try it on the ground and see what happens. Thank you for the suggestion.

Debra, I am in zone 7a and the rule here about clematis is 'feet in the shade and face in the sun'. In other words keep the roots cool, either mulched or shaded, from our hot summer sun and the plant will thrive with the top of the vine in the sun. This works good for me here. Good luck with the memorial garden.

Great Debra, You'll love it. They do like their feed shaded and moist, with lots of sun like Bonnie mentioned. That variety is one that you don't have to prune or cut back at all, unless you want to shape it some or keep it smaller. good luck

I have bad luck with Clematis. And that's probably why -- the location that gives them sun, does not shade their feet -- and in the heat of the summer, the soil can sure dry out. So how do you'all accomplish that?

I just plant other plants around the base of the clematis and it keeps things shaded. Also use mulch, it keeps the ground more evenly moist and cool. Day lilies work good for that.

At a famous clematis nursery in England, I saw pieces of broken pots shading the feet.

Thanks for the info!!

Because of this bed's siting, the amount of sunlight available to plants like the Iris is marginal. Putting the Crystal Fountain on a standard upright trellis would be impractical as the mature plant would shade too much of the bed when grown. I think it would be fun to put it on a very short support--say 30" or so--in the middle of the bed and let it cascade/amble around the other plants. I have a lot of 2-3 inch rock dug up from the east side yard (think at one time it was made into a parking area) that can be used to bulwark mulch or something around the Clematis.

Crystal Fountain Clematis was out of stock. Probably best anyway to let the bed develop this year and evaluate next year.

Tracy's Sunshine. Got it for the name and didn't think I'd like it...I thought wrong.

http://www.waysidegardens.com/...

Don't know how good this company is, but they seem to have it.

Looks nice, Debra !...Arlyn

The one I was getting was through a mamajack sales co-op on Cubits for $7.50, coming from Donahue's in Minnesota and they just sold out of wholesale lots for this variety. Probably 20% of the plants in my yard came from Wayside Gardens, a bunch of them for a cool dollah each when they were selling as Plant-something-or-other on eBay. When Wayside, Jackson & Perkins, and Park Seed went through bankruptcy in 2007? 2008?, for awhile, their customer service was dismal and their product was questionable. Wayside is better now. I have a friend who gives me gift certificates to them and I save them to try out the expensive stuff on which I wouldn't spend cash. Had a problem with one of the plants from the last certificate and they replaced it promptly. So I will keep that one in mind for this Christmas/Birthday's certificate. Thank you, Tom, I appreciate the effort in checking around for me.

Thanks, Arlyn. It is much prettier than any of the online photos show.

My niece was a dolphin enthusiast (to put it mildly) and my sister and the kids wanted to find some kind of dolphin to put in the bed. I found a mini weathervane on eBay, which arrived yesterday, sister picked out the spot, and we put it in this morning. Looks a bit barren, so I think I will put a flowerpot there (it is advertised as a flowerpot weathervane, anyway ) and put the support inside. Have a long tom pot from which the bottom is broken off. The pot had houseplants in it and was a gift, but didn't have a drainage hole. Wasn't practical for use in the garden, although I stuck it outside anyway and a couple of years of rather harsh treatment did the trick. Now, I think it would work nicely for a trailing plant and is just the right height to accommodate the vane support.

Looks nice!

Thank you, Tom.

Yes, you are on the way !!...Arlyn

Placed the name markers of my step-nephew's two children this morning. Only one left to go where the blue straw is in the lower left. Crystal's youngest is at camp until next week, so she missed the gathering of her siblings when they placed their own. I am happy and grateful for all the help in setting up this bed. Arlyn @crowrita1 and Tom @tveguy3 both generously gave named Iris. With their Irises, what I bought commercially, and the other themed plants and bulbs, I'd say it came together well.

Previously purchased:
Crystal Fountain
Crystalyn
Tracy's Sunshine

Recently added from Arlyn and Tom:
Crystal Beauty
Crystal Bright
Dark Crystal

It will look fabulous !!...Arlyn

It sure will, Debra. And aren't the ATP Iris people great???!!!