This very pretty evergreen Clematis (armandii) has just started to flower, against the wall of our pool pump-house.
It doesn't do as well as I'd expected, here in France; we planted one back in England that is the same age, yet ten times the size, and needs to be seriously cut back annually.
However, it's all part of the springtime awakening process, and its annual appearance gives us hope for the days ahead.
p.s. When I built the pump-house, I commissioned a young local potter to make two traditional bird-topped, tall, green glazed, pinnacles, for the roof. The two birds (in the window) later fell off. Perhaps I should have asked an 'older' potter to have made them. Inexperience; I suspect. Never mind; at least he and his young family ate that week!
