There is tremendous satisfaction in doing a job the right way.
Once, when a former boss quit, I offered to do his job and my own to the other owners but for a price. They agreed and we were all happy. So, it can work out well as it did for you and for me. I did NOT get three months off in the summer!
The nice, shiny, new growth on the clematises will brighten your spirits. I never expected them to climb so fast after being cut back. You might want to add more manure and some mulch on top of it. Manure is very slow release and won't hurt your clematises at all. The deodorized manure is the most pleasant to use. I only use the Espoma brand because that's all Jack could find when I needed some so he bought three bags. It's not only deodorized but dried so it's light in weight. That becomes more important as we get older and tire more easily.
Long hot summer clematis chat
Didn't realize I should be cutting back the dead vines....will do so today...thanks, Pirl...
It's not mandatory, Marilyn, but they end up looking better and new growth comes fast. Don't compost any blackened leaves.
Oh, thanks...I would have!
Hello everyone, I haven't posted in a while so here goes. I finally had my spinal fusion on August 13, and spent 5 days in the hospital after. It's been an interesting recovery, the second week is a blur as I recovered from the anesthesia, it give me nightmares, and the haze that I was in from the pain medication, I was more alert last week, and got about more easily, and spent more time upright. This week I continue to improve, and have been spending sometime walking around the garden to check out the happenings. I'm starting to feel like my "old " self again.
I have some limitations and have been restricted from bending, twisting, lifting, and sqatting, my BLTS don't do list. Of course this make me crazy, LOL,as I need all these moves to work in the garden.
I've found that Durandii is stll putting out blooms, I took some pictures today, and Patricia Ann Fretwell that was whacked to a nub at the end of July has happily grown back, and is blooming a month and a half later. I didn't get a chance to cut back the other clematis, as I wanted to before surgery, however my viticella like NOID also has continued to bloom thoughout the summer. DOA, and Mrs. Cholmondeley are also blooming intermittently.
Here's a picture on Patricia Ann Fretwell on 7/29/12, last week,and today. It blows me away how quickly these clematis recover. Annette
Glad to hear you are on the road to recovery....very frustrating not to be able to get into the garden....when I broke my hip....end of July instead of snowy January, I could only watch the weeds take over all my gardens....
Robin
there is nothing more frustrating than that is there?
Annette -you sound like your recovery from surgery has been good. I am glad.
Lee - I was thinking about you the other day - have you checked out Farmer Brown on Rt 17(I86) going to Binghamton? They had a number of clematis varieties that I had not seen before. I think they were about $18/each for a gallon sized plant, but you could also get 2 for $33, which is what I did. I picked up Star of India, and Tracey Lee. Star is flowering now. I have not seen Tracey Lee flower yet - I am looking forward to TL flowering next year.
I still have my old faithful Roguuchi flowering..... Love this plant.
That's a very pretty clem, Caroline....can't wait to see Tracy Lee!
Robin
I am looking forward to seeing Tracey Lee as well. ^_^
Thanks for you comments above Robin and Carolyn. I continue to improve weekly.
Carolyn. you are fortunate to have someone so close to you selling 1 gallon clematis. The big box stores here occasionally will carry 1 gallon plants, however they don't have much variety. I saw bettter choices in small packages at Walmart earlier this spring, but didn't pick any up, and unfortunately when I went back, they were all sold out. Annette
Glad to hear you are on the mend.I know how frustrating that is. Just look at the plants that make you happy and not at those weeds!
I am also amazed how fast some of these clems grow in just a month or two.. I cut back most of my type 3 at the beginning of July and now Jackmanii and Margaret Hunt are blooming nicely. It is almost like they do better with an (intentional or not) cut.
Annette - hope you are feeling much better. Sorry for being so tardy but we were on Cape Cod for a week and really enjoying wearing a jacket every morning and night. What a delightful change. When can you go back to gardening or are you just going to allow yourself to heal first, garden later?
Anna - I agree about cutting them back. They do seem to enjoy it and still have enough time to put on a lot more growth that will bloom next spring. The fresh new leaves are so shiny and green and I'm already getting new blooms.
See any of the great whites, Pirl? Twenty feet sharks are beyond scary!
Never even got my toes wet but there were plenty of people looking for them at the National Seashore in Eastham.
Arlene, I'm continuing to feel much better each week. I plan on getting back in the garden before the fall is over. No heavy work, just garden clean up and planting a few bulbs maybe in late November or early December, and if not, the DH will have to get his hands dirty ;-)
I'm glad you got some vacation time in Cape Cod, and I hope that you and your DH had a great time. Welcome home. Annette
Problems with the back are serious and affect the entire body as well as the mind. I've had my share but never got to the point of needing spinal fusion, just Degenerative Disc Disease that doesn't bother me unless I'm dealing with heavy items or big time digging.
We did have a great time and Smitty got his share of time sitting in Jack's lap - his favorite spot. He also had some vanilla yogurt (low sugar, 95% fat free) that he loved. In the second photo he's holding his head back so the ice cream won't spill out.
I had some great lobster rolls at my favorite spot, too!
That dog is adorable! I love Cape Cod. We used to go there when we lived in Montreal.
We also love Canada but they won't let us visit with Smitty!
Thanks, Anna, he is a cutie. I've been going to Cape Cod since I was Sweet Sixteen and that was back in the 50's. It remains as unspoiled as I always remembered it but we do stay on the Outer Cape (Eastham up to P'town) so I can't vouch for all areas on Cape Cod.
This photo makes me laugh. It looks like I have a shock of ultra blonde hair that matches Smitty's shock of white.
We used to stay in Truro. Hopefully it is still unspoiled.
HaHa! I guess dogs and their owners do start to look alike. Cute!
Truro seems untouched by time. One of our DG people, Happy from Florida, used to spend summers there as her parents were in charge of renting out cottages to the summer people. She was delighted, amazed and so pleased that I found them (hard to miss them!) and took photos for her back in September 2010.
As you can see from the last photo, looking across the street from the cabins, not much has changed. Home prices go into the millions in Chatham!
Pirl, Smitty is the cutest fellow...you are so lucky to have him! Always loved Chatham...worked in Wellfleet one summer when I was in college...
He is such a ham! Either he'll pose for me or turn his back as I snap to take his photo. Here he is ready to take on the dog in another cabin, a Newfie of all breeds! It weighs in at 150 pounds! We did not allow them to meet but I'm sure "Bear", as we called him, was friendly. He didn't fight with any of the smaller dogs and they were all smaller!
We stay in Eastham but spend most of our time, especially food time, in Wellfleet. We love the area up by Mac's Seafood Shack, The Bookstore (a restaurant/bar/bookstore in back), and just walking around up there. The Lighthouse is a long standing restaurant in Wellfleet and has excellent blueberry pancakes. http://www.mainstreetlighthouse.com/
Newf's are nice dogs. They just don't live very long. The larger the dog, the shorter. The lifespan. Conversley the smaller the dog, usually the longer their lifespan.
My DIL's aunt has 2 newfs left...her beloved Molly passed on....at one time she owned a black one, a Landseer, & a bronze...all good-natured....
True. Most of our dogs, from Collies to Lhasa Apsos made to 14.
The cabins at Gibson's, in Eastham, allow and encourage people to bring their dog so there are always several breeds. One Alaskan Husky was so beautiful. He/she wouldn't sit still for a photo.
The owner, Mark Gibson, is pictured here with his young boys and their dog, Cedar, making friends with Smitty. There's lots of room for people and pets to enjoy.
Sounds ideal!
The second picture is my perfect place for vacation. Has shade, some sand and the cabin is close enough to rest up. I always dreamed about going to St. Johns Island in Newfoundland, It looks so old and nice old town, I read some place you can take a ferry from New Brunswick to St. John.I am glad you are back, how did your garden survive? Etelka
There are only 8 cabins and the main house where the owner lives, Etelka. I'm not sure of the acreage but nothing is crowded in at all. There's a lot of space for kids and pets to enjoy.
We've been all through Quebec several times and New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Gaspe as well as the west coast of Canada. There are old cities all over and we find Quebec the most charming.
The garden did very well. We had a local teenage girl watering the plants I normally water daily and she did an excellent job.
Gorgeous Arlene. I do so love the water.
We do, too. I guess the drought had a big effect on the lake since there's more beach than there ever was. The lack of traffic, the silence (except for birds), the shade patterns of the trees, the fun of watching the ducks in the water as they chase each other, all contribute to the joy of Gibson's Cottages.
1. The view from the screened porch of our cabin.
2. The beach.
3. Just before sunset with the sun on the screen at the left.
4. Our cabin - 3 bedrooms, huge kitchen, nice living room, one bath.
5. Just after sunset.
Just gorgeous! Many folks don't know about the 'quiet' corners of the Cape....only hassle is getting on & off! I had a nice surprise yesterday....Ruutel had a bloom!
Falmouth and Hyannis are far too busy for us. We enjoy the quiet.
My Ruutel had a bloom before we left and another when we returned. Now Candida is in bloom and I just cut that back to the ground on July 3rd. It's at least 5'6" now and all the leaves are so beautiful and shiny.
I grew up in Massachusetts, once knew the Cape well. It's nice to know that some of it is still unspoiled. It sounds like you, DH and Smitty had a wonderful vacation, Pirl.
Congratulations on Ruutel, Marilyn!
Soon I'll know what my Clem's have been up to in the 7 weeks since I was last in my garden...
Pam
Yes, we did.
Post photos of all your clem's, Pam. We'd love to see them.
Noticed this morning the earwigs got to Candida. I'll be spreading more Bug Geta Plus.
Missed you, Pam.....hope the gardens look OK!
Some times good ideas turn into bad decisions. Such was the case when I spotted this "squirrel proof" bird feeder in the garage and thought it would be so beautiful with clematis blooms flowing from it: wrong! While it is true that squirrels can't get to the seed, they are crafty enough to swing the feeder and the seed falls out for their convenience. Then I tried it on a post in the back gardens only to find the deer banged it around as well. So it remained, unused, in the garage until I came up with the idea of using it for clematises.
Here it is with the clematis Josephine just attaching itself as my hopes ran high.
Josephine's stems went up the magnolia, thankfully, so I got to see a few blooms. Photo taken May 18.
It began with single blooms and then went to double blooms. Photo taken May 26. Overcast skies.
By June 13th Hagley Hybrid and The President took over while Josephine remained on the magnolia.
Today, needing little jobs to do while this storm and tornado watch is in effect, I cut back all of the clematises in this area to about 2 to 4" and will hope for the best.
It was very pretty in bloom from the front, pictured here, but highly impractical. I wonder what I'll think of next that will turn into disaster.
It looks beautiful!
Thanks, Pam. A 4' wide section of wire fencing might be the answer to allowing the clem's to show their beauty.