Clematis chat for 2012 - Happy New Year!

Carolyn...got a few ?s. Do you ever stake your durandii? Mine is rather young yet, only a couple of stems. Saw it on an old pbs garden show of an old couple from Canada. Their's was huge!!!!!, 'bout 5ft wide. It's suppose to be a non climber but I think they had it caged 'cause it was about 5ft in height also. Love it's blue flowers and I just had to get one,lol.
Next ?. I believe I am growing just a plain integ., lav flowers. It's beginning to get a bit unruly and is too close to the path. I would like to dig, divide and replant elsewhere in the garden. Any experience on moving a full sized speciman or dividing one? When I've moved clems. they've been small and those are easy.
I have Rooguchi also, and it seems to me their might be a few more unusuals I picked up at the Denver Botanic Garden sale they have in the spring, most I'm thinking were the non climbers. I'd check out in the garden but it's still under a blanket of snow and more is falling tonight.
Thanks for the oohs and ahhs, but my pix is of sunrise (5:30 ish am). In the spring I get up before God, lol. I'm still transferring photos to this 'puter so not alot of choices til I finish, lol.

I rise early too. It is a hard habit to break.

Ellen, last fall I visited my oldest girl in New England and just love lighthouses.
This one is at Cape Elizabeth called Portland Headlight.

Kathy

Currently Durandii is sprawling - originally I had planted it to be twined in a Flowering Almond shrub - it looked great and then I lost the Flowering almond, or so I thought. FA is slowly coming back. Last year, I had Durandii tied to a tomato cage and that looked great too. There are many options with the integrifolias. I have never divided them, I am afraid if I divide the crown, I will kill the plant. I don't think they will serpentine layer either (althought I could be wrong on that one), because they die back to the crown in the winter. I have not moved a full sized plant either, but I would think it you dig well around the root ball, you should be ok. I would think it would be a difficult task and quite honestly I do like flowers/plants to spill over onto a sidewalk. It softens the look of the hardscaping to me.

Kathy - If you dig the clematis be prepared for finding more than one plant. I dug up Proteus to move it and it split into five plants. Not having room for five I just replanted them in their new location with a lot more manure, bone meal and compost.

In 2012 my helper at the time moved out a huge section of a clematis between montana Grandiflora and Liberation. I was sure it would be the montana but it bloomed in 2011 and it was the Liberation. If they're close together it's hard to know which one you're digging.

I like the spill over effect, like Carolyn, when it happens.

Hi everyone! I just feel the clematis juices flowing in this latest set of posts! It's wonderful! On Niobe, I have one that's been in the ground for two years and is establishing but it is slow, this plant had one flower the first year, and 4 flowers this year. I had a more better one from 1996 thru 2002, That would be seven crummy years however, this one grew and bloomed rather well and had distinct flushes on two diff. years. I have a nice nine year old"Durrandii" She is root shaded by a gorgeous (brag Brag love!) Chamaecyparis Obtusa 'compacta" and looks ever so "GARDENLY?" as she rambles through the Camy.Clematis Julia Correvon is a very sturdy,repeat blooming red that are doing well in three different sites.A consistent performer. Lee Sherwood McDonald

I have afew integrifolias too. Kinseta, I have Sizoja Ptitsa too...how wonderful you know how to pronounce it! I think mine is in too much shade, but those flowers are delightful! I have Inspiration flowing over a little wall. It has been very reliable. I have Durandii in a pot with a nice obelisk, again probably too much shade so it doesn't bloom too much. I get nice flowers from Petit Faucon.

Madame JC is a very reliable bloomer for me too. This is Inspiration

Bananna18, I have been born in Yugoslavia and they talk serbien, Ukrainian is similar to serbien, that is how I know what Ptitza means. I collect bluebirds, that is the reason I ordered the clematis, I also have a Hydringea named Blue bird, I hope it comes back taller this year, it stayed about 12" last year , it bloomed but it did not grow. Here is some of my bluebird collection. Ten years ago I lived in the country, we had bluebirds on the line and I miss them now in the city. I ordered the Daniel Deronda because that is my son's name (grad picture on the shelv.) My grad picture on top shelv.

Kiseta..Love your bluebird collection, I also have bluebirds in the spring, some even hang around for the summer. Also have Blue Jays (crested, black-top and regular jays) and Swallowtails. Love all the little birdies, lol. even the red-tailed hawks.

Carolyn..Love flowering almond, so pretty but is such a shame they don't have any fragrance. Will be planting some this spring. Probably was a pretty combo, the pink and the blue. Hmmmm, will think about that, lol. Might have to add something fragrant close. Oooh maybe mock orange close by, yumm!

Green.. take a pix for us this year of Julia, remember we need ideas, lol. All my clems are basically in one area as I begin to do some landscaping with trees and shrubs, they will find (clems) new homes throughout the yard.

Can't really leave integ so close to the path, I find myself having to step over it everytime, all summer long. Even tried staking a short fence to contain them but branches get long and stick up in the air, looks odd so prob. better to move to a happier spot where it can ramble. Sometimes we learn by our mistakes but why waste the time, LOL!

Pirl, when you say Manure, do you mean store bought Cow manure, or some other natural stuff?

II bought 2 new clems from Brushwood. Fugi of course and gravety beauty. The latter is a texsanis hybrid...I hope it holds up in our humid hot summers here.

BTW Dan has stopped listing Sweet Autumn Clematis because it is so invasive. Now If we could just get everyone to get that message. The closest one of those to my garden is two blocks away , but I am constantly digging up seedlings. I let one get awzy from me last y ear and I am still digging out its roots.

Caroline...I planted a flowering almond this past fall and I am waiting for its first blooms. I remember it from my parents yard some 50 plus years ago. Such a beautiful pink.

Yes, Etelka - common old bagged manure...dehydrated is lighter for me and easier to spread - no odor.

John - you and some of our other clem people are leading me down the path to Fuji. I'll have to take another look at it.

Ok got some pix downloaded now, whew, 3 hours later. lol. Hey don't berate Autumn Clematis, I got 2 this last fall. Still selling here as not a problem like in the south.

Oh you guys are making me want to order. But I said last year I would not do it. I spent so much last year on plant orders. I know it was over $300.00. I will wait, yes, I said it, I will wait till the garden centers open.

Did I say I was wiping the druel off my lower lip...lol

Arlene Here's a picture for you . Claire de Lune is one of my favorites too.

Marie - the pain of waiting is not joyful. I've managed to resist tonight but don't know what tomorrow may bring. It would be nice if I could get purchases from last year planted before placing more orders. I slipped at Christmas time and ordered a lot of lilies from B & D, thinking I had space - wrong!

Thanks, John. The blossom is just so perfect - I love it. Great photo!

John

Flowering Almond is one of those shrubs that says 'Spring' to me.

I always have to think , what wont the voles eat...lol when I started gardening here almost 10 years ago, I fell in love with Hostas. There was almost no sun in my back yard then I bought them off line and in the stores. My prize ones were the giant ones. Well year by year the voles have destroyed them or ate them all. The only ones that they have not eaten are the ones I put in wire baskets. But when the hosta gets too big , well then it is a mess to get that basket up and the hosta out and divided. I planted the lilies I got last year in a wire basket, I now have another pot to plant, but need hubby to make me more baskets. I even had them take out 3 roses one year in my front garden by the patio , which seems to be where they are the worst. So far I have not seen them eat the clems, but dig around them and really disturb the roots system. I am sure my neighbors think I am crazy when I am in my flower beds stomping down the mole and vole runs hoping i am stomping them at the same time.

Marie

the vole/mole poison in the yellow cones at lowes seems to take care of the problem for us. DH puts it down a couple of times during the summer. I lost several plants due to the dratted creatures.

How do you do that. put the granules in the holes? I saw it and was not sure.

Marie

Yes, that is what my husband does. It was so bad with the dratted things, when he leaned down to pick up something, they were leaping in front of him. It hasn't been anywhere as bad as that since he started using the stuff.

I am game, I paid 50.00 for these bags of stuff last year, that did not work, This will be my next purchase. Cross your fingers.

Carolyn : Flowering almonds are special aren"t they. It was one of the plants my father was particularly proud of in his garden.

He also loved a double red flowering peach and I have searched for one for my garden. Unfortunately the only source I can find on line has very bad reviews .

John - I would try the peach anyway. It may do better for you than some of those others. Remember, people are more apt to post something negative than positive.....

Hi , mind if I jump in? I love clematis too and have quite a few growing although no ideas on what I have for the most part tags were either lost or they were purchased in grab bag specials. I think I have at least 20-30 varieties growing right now. I will have a better count once spring starts. No moles here but plenty of gophers that send my blood pressure right up!!

If that red floweing peach comes from Aaron's farm or TY TY I think you are probably right to stay away from them.

Welcome, Desertdenial5! We're always glad to have another clematis lover here. When your clem's begin to bloom we may be able to help you identify them by photos. No moles, voles or gophers here...yet.

Do you grow the large flowering varieties or the small ones or a few of everything?

I grow a bit of everything or at least I try!! I really like the bell shaped ones. Someone told me I could not grow clematis in the desert and that made me mad, so I went and planted them anyway and have had some pretty good success. I know I have tye dye, Madame Julia Correvon, Florida Sieboldii, Clematis Rooguchi, Clematis Blue Bird, clematis crispa, Clematis pitcheri , Clematis texensis Tarpley River Form . But I have many that I will post and try to identify and make markers for again! Most of the clemas do not look their greatest in our summer but the rest of the year they look pretty good!

DD - you really do have quite a few names there. Any of the montana class?

I guess your summers are hot and that will shut down many clematises until cooler days arrive.

Do you ever buy online?

I have tried a couple of montanas but so far none have taken. They were mostly 2 inch potted starteer plants. I did plant a gallon one last year but I think I lost it to either the heat or gophers.
I order online always. Rarely will you find a clematis locally. Brushwood, Silverstar, Joycreek are the main ones I order from.

The smallest pots/cells seem to have a more difficult time getting settled in here. If I get them in May or June I usually pot them up until late fall.

Around here they only sell the common ones and for very high prices.

DD those are the two companies that have the double flowering peach. Its a shame I can't find them anywhere else.

I'm looking forward to seeing your clems.


John

The only time you can find clems here is usually Mother's day and then they want 30.00 for a 4 inch pot. Makes me crazy when I am reading that people are picking them up for 1-5 dollars on clearance in other parts of the country!!
Yeah I was afraid it was one of those places. I think unless you can go there in person I would go with the online reviews.

What about ordering from here? http://www.soonerplantfarm.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantDetail/plant_id/1323/index.htm
They are a watchdog top 30 company

Marie - This is a vine I would like to grow....what do you recommend?

One of the best is Madame Julia
Correvon. The ones I listed above all do well here.

Nice selection DD. I also look forward to your pictures and tips to success in hot zones.

Thanks Marie! I will check those out.

Your Welcome Lyle. I might have a start of Clematis Rooguchi for you. I dug mine up to move it to a different area and I split it into three pieces. If it shows new growth in the next month or two I will bring one to you.

bananna18 I hope I have some info to share although I think with me it is always trial and error!

DD I am going to have to think about sooners plant farm for awhile. I placed an order with them only to find shipping and handling was $50. Gulp gulp

Oh yikes that is a lot for shipping. Especially when their prices are high to begin with!!