Signs of Fall

I'm not quite sure where the month has gone.  Time gets away from me this time of year as I hustle to prepare gardens for the long winter ahead.  We had our first frost this morning in the Portland area, which seems quite late.  Inland areas have had a few frosts at this point going back to several weeks ago.  I will spend the next couple of weeks continuing to cut perennials back, planting bulbs for next spring, wrapping shrubs, and pulling the last remaining weeds of the season.

Sweet Autumn Clematis

As fall sets in here in Maine there aren't too many shrubs and vines left flowering.  Yes, there are plenty of hydrangea blooms and some lingering Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) around, but now is the time of year that the Sweet Autumn Clematis really shines.  The small white blooms exude a fantastic fragrance that even Monarch butterflies seem to love (one stopped by to sample some nectar right as I pulled my camera out). 

Clematis paniculata is a quick climber and can grow up to 30 feet.  It is best to plant is an area where it can spread freely, up a large trellis or arbor, along a fence, or even up a tree.