Right now it’s thirty degrees outside and we have 40mph winds. This is a close-up of the Clematis, Margot Koster, from my garden last summer. I went a little nutty and planted clematis vines everywhere on our property. I have about 35 or 40 varieties. They tend to require a bit of TLC and not all of them are happy with where I’ve planted them. I look forward to the spring. Taking that first walk around our property to see who survived the winter. I love the sight of those tender green shoots pushing their way up through the cold brown earth, each one is like a little gift meant just for me.
bookbabie 
I’m lusting for crawling around in the dirt myself — spring won’t come too soon around here.
Enjoyed reading here, look forward to visiting again. =)
My grandmother planted clematis around her home. I remember it being in bloom when my grandfather died. There was a special on clematis at the local Wal-Mart Super-Center. $3.75 for a vine that would promise growth, that would promise life if cared for. I still think about the clematis blossoms greeting me as I entered my grandmother’s home. They were different from your picture. Bigger. Brighter. Larger than life. Larger than life pushing up from the red-brown clay.