Ooh, I really like the color, very pretty!

It's my hands-down favorite color in my garden. It's hard to tell exact color on a computer monitor, but mine is a rich, rich royal blue to start. Yours looks more purple on my screen, but it also looks like yours is in more sun than mine. I have contemplated trying to layer it to get another one, but that's a long process. If I find one around here, though, I'll definitely spring for a second. I'll try to post a pic of mine when it blooms - I haven't even noticed buds on it yet.

Harry...Is the colouring in your picture attributed to your camera, lighting etc?..Because Clematis "Rhapsody" in my Gardens is a true blue..No purple at all...Jeanne
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My camera did make Rhapsody look more purple than reality. It is truly blue, which is why I bought it.

I am still trying to figure out the growth habits of this clem. After producing a few leafs, R followed with a lot of buds. Even after the deer got through snacking on them, there was still plenty of blooms.

In the last few days a number of vines have begun twining up the support. Will this new growth produce more blooms? About when might additional blooms appear during the growing season?

Clematis "Rhapsody" is a pruning group 2 and has been slow to get going in my gardens (I did hard prune him the first two seasons in my garden and fortunately never experienced wilt with him)..but I suspect that my climbing roses on my Umbrella Trellis have been the culprit by providing more shade with their maturity over the past 3 years..He will bloom off and on through the season once you see the vines start growing again after the first initial flush..Typical with most Pruning group 2's..they have a flush of blooms in Spring and then again in late Summer/Early Fall...being that you are in a much colder zone than me..your blooms come later...Again..they only get better with age...so enjoy enjoy enjoy..Jeanne

Lovely blooms there Harry. The second picture you posted reminds me of Durandii's blooms after they have been open for a while and the blooms have faded out somewhat.

Only goes to show how difficult it is to ID clematis since the flowers change as the plants age, not to mention the effect the camera can have on the colors.

I found Rhapsody locally and bought it today. After your comments and photos, I am very excited to add it to my collection.

I've read that the Group 2 (B) clematis are actually in two subgroups, B1, which flowers on wood that has been hardened by the previous season's growth and B2, which flowers on both last season's growth and the current season's growth.

I wish I could give you the website where I found this, but it's long gone. Can any of you experts verify this and, if so, which one is Rhapsody in? I just bought it and it's really small right now.

Thanks everyone.

Rhapsody is group 3 or C

Here is a list of clematis which breaks down some of the group B's as B1 or B2. I try to stay away from the B1's because of my climate.

If you click on "Pruning" you will find the article you may have seen.

Here is a link that might be useful: Clematis groups

I would hard prune your New Clematis "Rhapsody" for the 1st couple years to help it get its roots stronger..But I read on COTW that "Rhapsody" (Fretwell is what I have) is a pruning group 2...Jeanne

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Clematis by Mary Toomey states it is a group 3.

Joy Creek refers to it as spring blooming.

I like the description from Silver Star Vinery.

Based on that, I would call it a B2.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rhapsody

Perhaps the PH value of the soil affects whether the color is a true blue or purple. It affects the color of blooms on Hydrangeas. What PH is the soil in Eastern PA and Texas?

I saw a Rhapsody Clematis at a local Garden Center today and am very interested in buying one if it is a true blue color. I already have a purple Clematis.

I live in southeastern Ohio. Our soil has high PH (i.e. Alkaline).