Garden Bloggers Blooms Day: Meet 'Daniel Deronda'

Clematis 'Daniel Deronda'

I bought this clematis at my first visit to Malvern show (before I started blogging) for the princely sum of £2, because its extra-large blooms caught my eye - the diameter of each is about the size of my hand's span. It's one of the earliest clematis to flower, but until now it's been a little shy for me. This year is proving to be different, with many buds lined up below the three flowers you can see.

It's reputed to have both double and single blooms, with the doubles appearing first followed by the singles later in summer. This is because it can flower on old and new wood, though mine has always been single flowered, even when I forget to prune it like I've done this year (it's pruning group 2, in case you were wondering).

It was bred by Charles Noble in 1882, possibly a cross between C. lanuginosa (discovered by Robert Fortune in China) and a seedling of 'Fortunei' × patens. It's long servitude makes it a 'good doer' in my view, though it took the RHS a while to give it the recognition it deserves, only awarding an AGM in 1993. Noble also bred the well-known 'The President', which I also have in my garden and usually blooms for me in June.

Why the name Daniel Deronda? It's a book by George Eliot and it seems Charles Noble was an admirer of her work. Sadly the clematis he named after her is no longer available.

There's a great write-up about this clematis on the Clematis International website - though I can't link to it directly. Click on the link I've given, then on the By Category link which subsequently appears in the website's sidebar. Then click on to Early Large-flowered option on the subsequent drop-down list. 'Daniel Deronda' should then appear as one of the pictorial thumbnail options, which will also give you an idea of how it looks in its double-flowered form.

I've enjoyed finding out the story behind the name for Blooms Day, quite literally in this case!

Garden Bloggers Blooms Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Comments

  1. Lea15 May 2017 at 09:37

    Beautiful!
    And it is good to know the history of the plant
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sue Garrett15 May 2017 at 10:45

    I often wonder how they come up with names for varieties - that and the mystifying names given to paint colours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP18 May 2017 at 08:52

      As a former mixer of those paint colours (I worked in a decorating shop when I was at school), I often wondered about those names too Sue!

      Delete
  3. Unknown15 May 2017 at 12:51

    Daniel Deronda also appears in my blooms this week and I agree it is great.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP18 May 2017 at 08:53

      Excellent choice Steve - I don't think there are many clematis with bigger blooms. They're astonishing.

      Delete
  4. Sarah Shoesmith15 May 2017 at 13:01

    Isn't he gorgeous? I hope those blooms are coping with the change to windier weather. Sue's comment reminded me of my favourite paint colour name - Dead Salmon. It always makes me giggle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP18 May 2017 at 08:54

      You see the slightly ruffled appearance of the top bloom Sarah! I had to wait for the wind to drop a bit before I could take the photo! As for Dead Salmon, I'm giggling at that too!

      Delete
  5. Mark and Gaz15 May 2017 at 14:39

    Great value, and the little anecdote with it makes it extra memorable too!

    ReplyDelete
  6. klaraau0115 May 2017 at 22:02

    Thank you for showing this beauty, wonderful color and colors!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP18 May 2017 at 08:55

      Oh hello! Lovely to see you're still here in the blogosphere :)

      Delete
  7. Anna15 May 2017 at 23:28

    What a stunning colour and interesting to hear how the name originated. That was definitely two pounds well spent VP :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP18 May 2017 at 08:56

      I've found prices are always more reasonable at Malvern compared to other shows, especially when you explore the 'nursery alley' away from the floral marquee :)

      Delete
  8. Marijke16 May 2017 at 14:49

    Such a wonderful Clematis. I never seen it before. Thanks for sharing.
    Have a wonderful day.
    Marijke

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous25 May 2017 at 03:17

    I am falling in love with clematises. Yours is just stunning. The blue colour is so wonderful and I bet you can see it from a distance too. I planted two next to each other, year after year, as I was worried that the first one will not get better after it got cut by a grass mower. But this year both of them just shoot up and are filled with buds that are just beginning to open. Lovely flowers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP25 May 2017 at 14:04

      'Daniel' is rather wonderful :) They're one of my favourite plants too.

      Delete

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