Clematis chat for spring

You're quite welcome. It happens to be one of my pride and joy in the garden. Oh yes, the rain it moving your way. I've more clems. about to open up....hopefully in the morning.

WOW.....they sure do look like eye candy to me. Love the Korean one and it's wavey petals, very unique. I found several I want!!!! While looking at the yellow varieties, I remembered that we have a wild yellow clem in the foothillls here in Colorado. Am thinking it's C.tangutica. Maybe I should grab some seed heads this year.






OOOppps, same pix as above, can't change it tho. I goofed.

This message was edited Mar 22, 2012 7:25 PM

It's still a pretty picture Kathy, love that purple, so vibrant. I wish I could find some wild clems here, that would be such a treat.

I've two "wild" ones. They were self sown in the area my Jackmanii situated. So assumed the offsprings were that of Jack's, lol. They've returned and performed remarkably well year after year, only they don't spread (as I hope they would). Their flowers are like those purple bell shape kinda flowers. I just staked one that grew by a dogwood. Last year the single vine got wind damage, it didn't yield many flowers. Hopefully this year would be a different result.

Hello Everyone, I just made my first Clematis order of 2012.I want to share and ask about Mrs. Chodomoudeley,or Mrs. Chumley(Sp), Wisley ,Pillu, Silver star River,Kiri Tikonewa, Westerplateor Chumley It looks as if Silver Star river. is an intrgrefolia type. Lee Sherwood McDonald

Since I lost two Mrs. Cholmondeley I can only wish you well. I haven't had the others.

I have Mrs. Cholmdeley from Brushwood last April. It bloomed last year, and has more buds already this year. I'll post a picture of it when I get home. It's about 2ft now and growing really well.

John, here's a pic of Mrs. Cholmondeley, sorry it's kinda dark since I took this as dusk today. The second is Omoshiro, short but full of buds, and the third is Pink Champagne that's teasing me. Open already, LOL!!!!

Just got this one yesterday from Brushwoods: Venosa violacea.
MAJOR root ball, too ! Dan never disappoints with his plants.
Foliage on this one is much smaller and finer than what I'm used to, so this will be interesting to see how it does here. See photo below.

I also got an HF Young from him last month. The top growth was minimal but it had a fantastic root system. It's now 24" tall and has buds on it. I'll take pictures when it blooms.

This message was edited Mar 23, 2012 6:24 PM

Cem..love your pix and absolutely love that elephant plaque on your brick wall. I could see your pix just fine when enlarged. Wow..clems already, just amazing.

Jasper...are any of my pix the Venosa violacea, I'm sure I have that one, but alas some of the tags have faded. I'm trying to figure out which ones I do have. Or maybe pirl has a few ideas, for any or all. I'll recognise the names if I know which plant is which.

Ooooppps, pix #1 and 2 are the same ones.

This message was edited Mar 23, 2012 11:03 PM

I'v only seen pictures of V V so based on what I've seen, your 3rd picture looks like it to me.

Thanks, I will have to make a note of that and a new tag when it blooms. Hey, speaking of tags, has anyone used the copper type? If so, what did you use to mark it and were you pleased? I was thinking a grease pencil, read somewhere that they are suppose to last a long time, if so how long?

I'm thinking the first pix is Jackmaii supurba., is that correct?

This message was edited Mar 24, 2012 12:00 AM

Here's Venosa Violacea from Walmart and Brushwood.

Your VV looks great, JD!

Love your photos, Kathy.

Took this shot of Venosa Violacea at a nursery. I used to have it in my old garden, want to get it again some day.

Mine, from Walmart, is now about 3" tall. I put two in one pot and I'm just waiting for the other one to emerge.

Lee, I only have Piliu, and so far has not done very well.Maybe this will be the year for it. I have VVV and it is a great performer. I am jealous of all the great finds at Walmart.

I hope my VV is true to name for once and does as well as yours, Anna.

Somehow I missed seeing the name of Piilu on Lee's post. I have two and they are smaller flowers but have performed just fine.

wwk, that third picture of the clem looks like my noid, I've got to get the name of that one. These are blooms from last spring.

Pink Champagne has such a rich color. It's really strange having clematis blooms in March with the daffodils, and even tree peony Shima Nishiki blooming at the same time. When I looked back at pictures from last year, the clematis didn't start blooming till late April, early May.

Omoshiro has nice fat buds, it may be 10in. tall, but insists on blooming at that height. Niobe is starting to trail across the top of the fence, and has buds too.

Finally, I just wanted to show my Star anise tree. This is it's third year and it has some amazing blooms. It is planted in semi-shade, stays green all winter, and has been blooming for the past month, with the most blooms I've ever seen open this morning.

The weather here is gorgeous this morning, a cool 48*, and only getting into the low 70's today, thank goodness. Now if only the pollen would go away. The yellow powder that you seen on the Star anise tree is from all the pollen this past week. We broke records with counts over 9000, 8000, and so on this week. Everything here has a yellow tinge to it, and I can't wait for some rain to wash it away.

Lovely photos, Annette. That star anise is wonderful.

Lovely, love pics. indeed! Annette, could you offer some tips on the Star Anise culture? I had one for a couple of years. On the second year it bloomed sparsely for me, and on its 3rd year it took off and died. I too planted it in my shaded garden. Too densely shade perhaps?

Yes, we are on the same zone, clematises usually don't bloom until couple weeks later. Lots of my use-to-be late blooming Azaleas. The types that bloom last in the season. They're bursting out like wild fires with other early blooming variety. Spring came in like gang buster this year. And pollens are everywhere! Well, some pollen are washed off, and so are lot of our dogwoods petals.

Thanks Arlene and Kim. The Star anise is in my helebore and hosta bed, so it doesn't get much sun at all. During the spring I toss Osmocote in the bed, which is mulched with pine straw, and it gets no special treatment.. It just seems to like where it's planted. I think the mild winter helped with it also blooming much sooner.

Very pretty. Does the star anise smell like licorice? I have a lot of shade and dappled shade. Looks like a nice plant to try.

Hey bananna18, I haven't ever smelled the anise tree, I'll try to remember to do so tomorrow.

Here are some pictures of Omoshiro, and I have to say a BIG thanks to pirl for posting her picture of this clematis last year, which inspired me to order mine. I LOVE this clematis, and I can't wait till it gets taller.

Fireworks started blooming yesterday. Miguel Viso has also opened a few more blooms.

Duchess of Albany has lost her mind, she's well over 6ft, and I had to get DH to help me strap her up to the downspout. She has tons of nice fat buds, so I suspect I'll see some blooms opening this week

Did you cut your Dutches back this spring?

Annette, D.o.A. is going to be glorious! Can't wait to see it in its full glory!

You're doing just great, Annette. Omoshiro was low for me the first blooming year but a nice size in the second year (photo attached). Fireworks and Miguel Viso are looking fine. Duchess of Albany is spectacular! Mine is about a foot tall.

My most amazing one is Helsingborg and it is totally wild. I have no idea what to do with it. Photos later (provided I remember to take them). I didn't do any cutting back for many of the clem's while I waited to see if the ends would get green leaves. Some did have to get cut back about a foot but Candida Lanuginosa has to be 10' tall and grows through a magnolia with a few others. I'm anxious to see that one bloom.

Pirl, I guess that it a good problem with Helsingborg . This year I didn't cut back my type 2, but I did with type 3, although the way Margaret Hunt is growing, it is hard to believe.

The new growth on my 3's, which I did cut back very hard (down to just a few inches) is remarkable.

Helsingborg's problem is that it spread on the ground and I fear has rooted in each spot: every leaf joint appears to be rooted. That would leave me with allowing them to grow and they'd cover the gardens and driveway or trying to pot up each one.

I'm almost afraid to face the Helsingborg issue today since I have roses to get planted but I will take photos and relate what happens with it.

Oh wait, wait. Is SAC (sweet autumn clematis) a type 3?

bananna, cut all of my clematis to about 12-18in., including m. Maylene, even though it's i group I, otherwise it would eat the house, LOL. DoA was also cut to the same height, it's the composted manure, Epsom salt, and the Bayer 3:1 Rose food that it was fed that has it going crazy. It's also been warmer here than ever, considering it's only early April, and I believe that's also helped it grow. It's also well mulched, and the roots are also shaded by the roses.

Arlene, that picture of Omoshiro is just gorgeous. Annette

My # 3 Gipsy Queen was cut to a 6" hight a month ago, last week after I have firtilized it it grown to a 5 feet tall, but no buds.
I also got my 2 roses, Autumn sunset ,and without planing, from Low's I got a metal arch, very nice like I always wanted, so today I am puting it together and also finished painting my treated wood for a pegola. What happens when a clematis runs taller then the trellis, will it hurt it, or should I make some wire contraption to extend the trellis??My Sunset recupareted from the heat stroke, that night it rained and it helped to cool it down.

I just came in from putting my rose arch together, I sure could of used two more hands. It fell apart when I tried to stand it up the first time, but I did not give in, finnaly I have done it and it is only held by 4 10" spikes, I hope the wind won't push it down. I hope my getto neighbors that are known to look for cooper realize it is just painted steel, not copper. Also my Sister Theresa Astilbe is almost ready to bloom, I planted a lot of coleus around it. I found a place that sells nice size Sun coleus for 2.99, has about 30 differant shades. I will go back tomorow to get more before it is gone. Etelka

Kim - the rule for SAC is to prune it drastically. Go right down to 6" to 12".

Thanks, Annette. I haven't checked up on it in a few days so I'll have to take a look.

Etelka - some are slower at blooming than others so I hope yours blooms soon. Lovely arbor! Don't worry if the clem's grow taller than any structure you put them on since they'll fall forward, backward, left or right and continue growing. It won't hurt them at all. Be sure to take photos of Sister Theresa when she blooms. I'd love to see it. We have one place up here that sells huge coleus so I'm waiting to buy them at $2.99 as well.

You can pound in a 6' tall piece of rebar on each side of the arbor to anchor it more securely. Use some strong wire to hold the rebar to the arbor.