Clematis: Pruning...and chat continued, 1 by pirl

pirl wrote:
All gardens seem to be works in progress, Jan, so you're not alone. Even when we think we're done it's likely we'll change our mind in time and move or add plants.

Blood Meal works wonders for keeping rabbits away but be sure to sprinkle it often enough to cover new foliage. They'll smell it and avoid it. Works like a charm for our lilies.

When you use grass clippings be sure to mix them up with the leaves or the "aroma" can get overpowering in two to three days.

Why not try some Christmas tree branches to hold down the leaves? We don't have a Christmas tree due to opposing opinions - I only want live and he only wants fake = no tree at all. Anyhow, you can scoff up a few branches from any of the neighbors' trees put at curbside, they won't complain.

Even coffee grounds are not acidic. I've tested with a pH tester! Feel free to save them all winter (garage may be best or outdoors to avoid a really rank odor in three weeks) and use them, mixed with soil, for any outdoor plantings. We have a jug of them in the plastic coffee "can" under the sink and a small garbage pail in the garage for compost additions so I do add any extra grounds to that pail when I can't fit any more under the sink.

Thank you for your kind words, Jan. I'm not a professional at growing clem's but I've killed enough to know where I went wrong with many of them. Not planting them deeply enough was my biggest fault so now I'm fearless and time will tell if the last 25 (in the last 18 months) will fare better.

I do go through my photos in winter, delete the excess/unnecessary/boring or awful ones (wondering why I even kept them) and happily found an area with any clem's. Joy to the world!

For all of six minutes this past Tuesday, I did go out and prune back the Jackmanii's around what is now a huge stump, thanks to the August storm, Irene. That night there were 75 MPH winds so I'm glad I used the time wisely. I was surprised to see all the green in the stems so they did survive the trampling by the tree workers. Can't blame the guys! They had to walk there to cut down the tree but I am delighted the clem's survived. How nice it would be if all jobs were just six minutes! (Don't you just love the neighbors red canoe and a kayak in the background? I don't.)

Now to look for "just a few" new clem's for the vacancy.

Happy 2012 to all and may this be a banner year for every one of our clematises.