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Agatha Christie's Greenway (Devon, England) - The House

I can think of two places that we visited where I enjoyed the house more than the gardens. The first was Greenway, not for the house itself, which was surprisingly small and cramped, but for the history behind it and the fascinating mementos on display. Agatha Christie and her husband Max Mallowan were enthusiastic collectors. You can see their collections on display throughout the house - European and Oriental ceramics, pottery, African tribal masks, Egyptian artifacts, Tunbridge ware, china, trinkets, and books. The Morning Room has a portrait of Agatha Christie as a child and her doll Rosie, sitting in a chair - The Drawing Room was where the family would gather in the evenings. Christie would entertain guests by reading chapters from manuscripts of her latest books.  Agatha Christie's bedroom. Max always slept on a smaller portable traveling cot (you can see part of it in the foreground). It was his favorite bed and he carried it with him on all of his archaeological travels. N...
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Pruning Clematis



Is there a plant more confusing to prune than clematis? Not only are there numerous types but they are all pruned differently. Fortunately, there is a helpful resource and it is Linda Beutler's wonderful book "The Plant Lover's Guide to Clematis". I have referred to this book so many times that it is literally coming apart. In the book, the author lists all the cultivars (well, not all but close) and tells how to prune each one.

Our largest clematis are on the front gate arch and they were spectacular this year, blooming for a record amount of time (I am crediting the mild temperatures). On one side is 'Jackmanii Superba' and 'Madame Julia Correvon' is on the other.

In the photo above, 'Madame Julia Correvon' is on the right. It is not as strong a grower as 'Jackmanii Superba' but I expect it to catch up next year. After blooming, it is recommended that it be cut back half-way and you will have more blooms from autumn to frost.

Of the two, 'Jackmanii Superba' seems to be the most vigorous grower. In the book, 'Jackmannii' is listed and the instructions say to just cut it back in late winter or early spring. No mention is made of cutting it back half-way after bloom, so I just cut off the spent blooms.

The end result is a much neater archway. I fertilized with Jack's Blossom Booster and await more blooms later in the season!




Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Lisa at GreenbowJuly 21, 2020 at 4:20 AM

    My Jack was cut back during winter and it didn't bloom as profusely as it usually does. However we are in a slight drought so that probably affected it. I am with you regarding know when and how to trim clematis. I might have to invest in this book.

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