We're building an addition. Knowing I'm a gardener, our architect has included trellises to provide additional summer shading above the first and second story windows on the south side of the house. Now I need to think about what to plant that will grow (with appropriate support) up to the 8 and 16 foot trellises and spread nicely across them. Naturally, the first thing I thought of was clematis, since one has been growing on a fence here since before we moved in.
The challenges I can foresee are:
1. Most of the ones I see in catalogs don't go that high.
2. I'm in zone 4a. This will need to be well established and spread across the trellis by mid June (though I don't expect that the first two years, of course) to provide good shade during the summer heat.
3. I'm not sure how the pruning groups will come into this.
Any suggestions of varieties I should look for?
How strict are the pruning group rules? The clematis on the fence seems to come back quite happily every year despite the fact that every winter the rodents chew off all the steps at about 2" above the ground. Would it hurt the plant to just prune it after the first hard freeze (and let the sun in during the winter) rather than waiting until march?
Tall clematis for summer shade?
Clematis terniflora (Autumn Clematis) will grow that high.
I am not sure about the clematis but what about a honeysuckle vine? I think they can grow tall......or how about virginia creeper???
This message was edited Sep 1, 2007 3:35 PM
Thanks, I'll try in the vine group also.
Sweet Autumn clematis is a winner for what you're looking to use it for.
I think Tangutica gets very tall also....
First year Tangutica (prune) & Montana Rubens (which you don't prune & flowers only once but would provide good shade & the foliage is the prettiest I've seen)) are going crazy at my house. My pergola is covered! But the best right now for me is the moon vine. Aaaah the smell. and the hummingbird moths! I find annuals really fill that height & breadth gap for first year clematis growers. I would put a clematis or TWO there for sure, but supplement with the glorious annuals like rare Japanese Morning glories until the clematis get where you want them. Vertical gardening rocks! Blooms Away ~ shawna
Also I would put a little fence or screen around those clematis on the fence and prune in the spring. Energy is gathered from the foliage plus you can control them better. If you ID them, then look up the group they're in & see which ones not just survive, but thrive from a good pruning. Many are just hardy & survive whatever you do. Others just hate you & die... However, I bought this very sick looking Will Goodwin recently, which I thought was a goner, pruned him hard (meaning left the better stems and cut off all the leaves) & he thanked me yesterday!
