Clematis crazy

This week

I'm very partial to my clematis.  Like many of my neighbors, I've planted a clematis vine out by my mailbox; it likes the bright sunshine and doesn't require much maintenance which is pretty much how plant-life survives by the street. 

However, I chose my clematis for its unusual color.  Unlike most of the pastel colors in our neighborhood, my clematis is dark burgundy.  It took some effort to find it but my husband gave this plant to me for Mothers Day several years ago.

Last week

This year, my clematis has outdone itself.  It has been blooming for two weeks already and is still putting out new buds.  The masses of flowers are so dense this week that you can hardly see the green leaves. 

I wish I could claim credit for this marvelous performance but all I do for this plant is keep its roots well-mulched and trim it back a little during the winter.