Sunday, May 23, 2010

Lyndy Broder and Clematis

Seeing all the clematis in bloom this week reminded me of a friend from that I've lost contact with over the years.  Back in the mid 90s I worked to start a garden club that really bloomed into something extraordinary.  As the club formed, I reached out to the current president (at the time) of the state Master Gardner's association who just so happened to live in our county.  He offered to help round up incredible speakers for the first year so that we didn't have to pay speakers fees and it wasn't long before our club grew gaining some amazing members and plant experts.  One of those experts was Lyndy Broder.

I don't really recall what I knew about Clematis before I met Lyndy but after spending time with her and visiting her gardens, clematis became an important part of my garden. First, I'll tell you a little about Lyndy and then share a few things about clematis.


Lyndy was a busy mom with career and four children so she didn't really begin to garden until her early 50s.  Lucky for her, she was able to retire early and one of the first things she did was to complete the Master Gardner's program.  Lyndy got involved with a number of the plant societies but one of the plants that captured her attention most was clematis.  She began to study the plant and learned that there were varieties to be found on the tundra and in our woodlands.   After hearing about Brother Stefan Franczak


Lyndy made a trip to Poland to meet Brother Stefan and to study some of his developed varieties.  Over the years Lyndy has become an international expert on clematis and has more that 200 varieties in her garden in Stockbridge, Georgia.  Most recently, she was a contributing author for a new book by Dr. Allen Armitage on vines and climbers.


At Lyndy's you quickly learn that this beautiful vine can be tucked in with so many other plants to create a multitude of unexpected blossoms.  She will often tell you that she plants a clematis with, and at the same time as another tree or plant with the intention of additional blooms.  The thought is that if the plant has bloomed, you can get a second showing with a clematis added to the planting.


A few years ago we moved and in planning our move, I rooted and dug up many of my plants in order to be able to take some of my favorite ones with me.  Unfortunately only six of my clematis survived the process but that gives me an excuse to buy more!  Just in case you are looking for a place to shop for clematis besides your local  nursery, check out Donahue's Greenhouse.

14 comments:

  1. I've always wanted a clematis but the deer ate the ones I planted in years past. Now that we have a deer fence I'm looking at Clematis and wondering which ones to plant - I love the thought of the evergreen variety, as they do well in this climate, but I sure do love the deep purples too.

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  2. They are gorgeous and on my list to add to my yard!

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  3. I'm not much of a gardner, but the flowers are beautiful. Have a good day.

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  4. This is the first year that my clematis has done well here in NC because I'm out there spraying away with deer repellent every night! Gorgeous!
    xoxo Pattie

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  5. The flowers are gorgeous! Gee you learn so much when you read the blogs of others - I didn't know any of that! sandie

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  6. We need to get together sometime! I moved many plants from my home in VA this year, inclucing some clematis! In fact it took two trips to get them all there! When does your garden club meet? I'm in The Town and Country Garden Club in Douglasville. We'll be doing alot with the hydrangea festival. You should enter the flower show!
    Btw, thanks for all of the comments. I really haven't been replying to any comments or emails lately.
    Robin

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  7. Interesting post! I have a couple of clematis vines and I love their beautiful flowers. I've seen some mature plants with flowers as large as dinner plates...gorgeous!

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  8. Beautiful! I tried to grow clematis years ago, but didn't have any success. Then out of the blue this spring, a little plant reappeared. It even had a few blooms. So I've been pampering it in hopes that it will flourish.
    I added myself a follower. I've been following your blog for ages, but didn't realize that I hadn't added myself to your list. There now! I so enjoy my visits here. I've also added you on my blog roll that I've recently added to my sidebar. ~ Sarah

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  9. I thought I'd killed mine (didn't know they went dormant) so I dug it up. Waaaaa!!!! :-(

    Your photos are simply divine! I think I need to go buy a new clematis & try again.

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  10. I just planted some up at my daughters new home. Lucky you to have such a wonderful garden club and speakers to learn all these little tricks for growing such lovely plants. We just had a day of planting at our condo and it was so much fun to play in the dirt with neighbors. Also we really saved a whole lot of money in our condo budget by doing the work ourselves.
    Joyce

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  11. Uh, what wonderful flowers! Thank you for your reply to my question (What's the neibourhood clean up?). Have a nice day, Anita Camilla

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  12. Lovely, lovely. And, my husband was born in Poland and our youngest son's name is Stefan! Special reading for me today.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  13. I so love a clematis. We've always had one climbing up our mailbox until a couple of years ago when my 15 year old went crazy with the weed wacker. Your post has made me want to go get another one.
    And I love the name Lyndy. How great to have a friend like her!

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