Here is a case that you have a Clematis and you do not know what type you have is it a 1 , 2 , or 3 just how do you know which one it is? Can you tell by the flowers, when they bloom just how do you tell when to prune them?
How to tell what type you have????
Golden, you can tell first by when it blooms and then by the flowers it produces. Someone, I believe it was JuliaJayne, share a website that has awesome information. Not sure of the exact link, but if you google Clematis Container Nursery Encyclopaedia (yes aedia-might work either way :-) it will take you there. It is a really cool site and if you click on the encyclopaedia tab it gives you many options of backing into what you are looking for. It also gives you the option of looking at the information in table form or illustrated catalogue pictures, which is probably what you need at this point. I have really found this site helpful and quite fun to puruse and am happy it was shared. I believe other sites were also recommended, but this is how far I have gotten, as I am a rather newbie myself. Hopefully, some of the other more experienced clemmers will chime in here!
Nancy
The easiest way to tell what group it belongs to is:
if it's first bloom period is May-June, it's a group 2.
June and July- a group 3.
April - a group 1.
good info jj.
Yes I am very please for helping me out.
jj, fantastic tips! Though, in the South, we've to interpret it slightly difference since our growing season is a tad longer.
For instance;
Armandii = 1st to bloom in my garden (group one).
Next Nelly Moser, and many others (group two).
Yike, I have forgotten already which one has bloomed last here....but I do have some that are sending out reblooming buds. :-)
When does you Armandii bloom, Lily?
We started our growing season earlier down South, some year it blooms as early as mid March I think. I'll see if I can find some pix to share.
Here goes, some year my Armandii blooms same time as the Eastern Redbuds creating a fabulous combo for the spring garden: Enjoy!
Lily, our season definitely starts early. I had buds in March and blooms in early April on Group 2's. We had a late freeze around Easter and the Nelly Moser blooms weren't even bothered. They were close to the house. When I check bloom times on different web sites I have to remember to back up about a month from what I've seen so far. I'm anxious to see how late this fall I have blooms on some of the 3's.
The armandi is beautiful. What is supporting it? I was just looking at that one today but knew I had nowhere to grow one at this time.
lilylove, that is an amazing pairing and beautiful shot. i love that you grow the clems that need the warmer weather v just all the hard winter types. the armandi is beautuful. thanks for sharing.
Thank Sharkey and CG. We built a wooden arbor for the two vines, one on each end Sharkey. These are very large vines, after the years. I come to realize the structure isn't strong enough for them. We will eventually replace the arbor with some wrought Iron one I bet. It's going to be interesting once we do. lol.
What a beautiful way to welcome spring! Must make your heart sing to see such a beautiful pairing! Thanks for sharing Lily. Nancy
Nancy, the clematis is very fragrant too. Thank you, I'm very graceful of the blessings.
i have always wanted to grow armandi, and if i ever live in a warmer zone i will be putting it before i unpack the kitchen.
That is funny, CG...I believe it would be true!
Those are very lush blooms and just a gorgeous combo. It would really be nice to have an early spring show like that. On COTW there are many different kinds of armandi. Is your the "original"? Also. what does it look like after blooming?
The armandii that I've is evergreen, the lance shape leaves stay lush all year round. I'm not sure which armandii this is. I know there is a pinkish variety that I'd love to find.
Interplanted in the area are a few crossvine 'Tangerine Beauty'. So after the clematis bloom are done. The arbor is filled in with the orange trumpets flowers, which is another evergreen vine.
This is the arbor today. Oooops, I just realized, I've lost that upside down V-shape roof on my arbor. Time to look for a wrought iron arbor to replace this wooden one.
editted for typo.
This message was edited Jul 24, 2009 7:12 PM
It is lovely even not in bloom.It looks like a shaded area. How much sun does it get?
Likes most flowering plants, C. armandii requires quite a bit of sun to adequately flower. We added the Redbud, a young tree to the corner of the area a year after we planted the vines. It gradually shaded out the area, also the adjacent fig tree. DH severe pruned the two mentioned trees down recently trying to get more sunlight back into the area. Good question, Banana. I'm glad your brought up the question.
Thanks for the info. It is nice to hear your description. I have all those trees in and near my yard too!Trees can certainly change the environment. Sometimes there is just too much shade.
Do you remember how long C. armandii blooms?
The blooms remain for several weeks. Once they're done, my Crossvines took their turn. :-)
uhhh., what's a cross vine..?
Hi CG, crossvine is a common name of this precious vine; bignonia caprelata. Here is a fun thread I started a couple of years ago to demonstrate the different b/w the crossvine and the common trumpet vines.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/725787/
Postnote; bignonia caprelata in my experience. I've seen these vines on high altitude (atop mountain in my region) so indeed they do make viable seeds. I grow these vine and prune them back each spring -- so far, I've not had much problem with stray seedlings. Bignonia caprelata to Campsis radican, as to Clematis armandii to that of Sweet Autumn Clematis is my take.
are they hardy in my zone?
i have campsis and keep them radically pruned and do have pull and kill seedlings or root shoots through out the growing season.
will check out your thread. interesting, thanks.
CG, it seems that the crossvine is hardy only to zone 6. here it's on pf.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/56818/
thanks. i figured as much much prettier and more floriferous than the trumpet. i keep my trumpets so pruned tho , i do get blooms but not as many as i could it i let them go. of course if i did this the whole garden would be taken over. i put mine in years ago before my clem phase or before i knew i would have clems in the same areas.....but all under control. i walk around trimming while i talk on the phone and come back later and clean it all up.
I don't know about where you're up North. This year down South, CG check this out. The campsis color is deepened to almost a scarlet red instead of the usual orange color. I think the abundant rain, and milder temp. has spur these to show its best this year. I've seen many on road way that are brightly, scarlet red. Though, they run rampant, I still have to have one in the garden at all time.
that is a pretty one.like a salmon color. i love trumpets. don;t have any in where i can let them go big big big....would like to do that. have to figure out a spot for sure!
My crossvine is a different color. I really prefer the orange.
Oops! Not crossvine!
This is what I meant to post.
nice bloom irwells. lily love, i love those cross vines. i a planning to plant some more trumpets in a sunny area that i will never landscape. will investigate different types that may be hardy in my zone based on seeing these.
wish i could grow more of the jasmines too. like the pink climbing one. sweet plant. but not hardy here.