pale pink with red strips down the middle of the large petals. It has been suggsted for best color show to plant where this clematis will recieve partial shade.

Nelly give you the best color if she has afternoon shade, although she will need at least 4 hours of morning sun to bloom at all. Don't take it personally - all the pink clematis fade in afternoon sun. :-) I have a Nelly I plan to move in the spring - she is in nearly total shade and doesn't bloom at all!

If you need a clematis for full sun, try one that is darker colored.

This is quite interesting. I also have a clematis (not a Nelly Moser) that has proved less "vibrant" than I expected and it also happens to be in full all day sun. It's been in the ground since early 2001 so do you suppose I could still move it? I've heard hat they should not be transplanted.

Cybertrek

Cybertrek, here's a link to the clematis forum FAQ on transplanting. It can be done - just plan on a year for the plant to recover - a mature clematis can have an impressive root system!

Do you know what variety you have? It could be a sun issue, especially if it is a pink, but sometimes the colors are awfully hard to capture accurately in a photo. I have a Silver Moon I must have taken a dozen photos of this summer and I didn't got one I felt was really accurate.

Here is a link that might be useful: Transplanting clematis

Thanks Cindy,

I don't remember the variety. It's a pale blue that blooms on new growth. The blooms start out very nice but fade to an almost colorless shade in a couple of days. I think I'll probably just leave it where it is. Other than the pale flowers it seems to be very happy and I'm really looking forward to seeing it take off this year.

Cybertrek

Nellie definitely fades in strong sun and as the flowers age. But she makes up for it by being a strong grower and very reliable compared to lots of large-flowered clematises.

Another problem is that you might not have the true Nellie Moser. It is an old cultivar and like jackmanii, there are lots of random lookalikes that are sold under the name but are not the the real thing. This is one of those cases where the reputation of the nursery/catalog you buy from really makes a difference.