growing clematis on a retaining wall?

Hello -- I was wondering if anyone here has ever grown a clematis along a sloping wall, anything like the one in this picture, or if you experienced clematis folks think it's a bad idea to try it? I've got a viticella purpurea plena elegans that I was thinking of putting somewhere else, but then it occurred to me that it would look lovely back there if I could prop it or train it to stay on the wall, which is only about 4 ft tall, but 20 ft long. Right now there's creeping sedum growing between the stones, and there always will be, as that sedum can't be gotten rid of, but it would be a nice bright background for the dark flowers, I'd think. I've completely rearranged the border in front of the wall since this pic was taken, so there's more room now, in the ground anyway, for the plant itself. I'd certainly appreciate your opinions, ideas.... Thanks very much, Laura

I don't know the answer to your question, but I will be interested in hearing it because I have a similar place in my yard and I just may want to try a clematis there too.

Hmmm I don't really have any ideas other than just planting one and let it grow up the wall? Just kinda let it do its own thing?

Thanks Dawn. I think I will. I think it might work out okay.

I think it would be pretty with it just rambling up...you can always sort of train it to ramble in a way you would like it to or a direction?? Good luck.

I have 4 plenas and they have a long stalk (I don't know if that is the right word) that the flower sits on and it looks the best when put on a pillar, column, or post as the little six to 8" flower stalks bob inthe wind and viewed from all sides and allowed to be viewed from all sides makes this pretty anyway little clem a real knockout!!

Hi jazzzy, thanks for the input. I've got three ppe's, and I'm hoping just one of them can be trained to scramble along this wall. I'm giving it a try anyway. Thanks again!

Hello -- just to update: here's a photo of the fall-planted ppe just starting to open up along our retaining wall. It's clinging very nicely to the sedum there. Worked so well I've put in another clematis (venosa violacea) a little farther down the wall. Have been enjoying and learning from all the threads in this forum. Thanks.

Boy that looks cute! You never know how well they do until you let them go!!
Looks lovely!!
Julie

That does look nice. It's a combination I never would have thought of - sedum and clems - but it works great!

Thanks! I'm very pleased. Just when I thought I'd run out of room, the retaining wall beckoned!

hello. i have many clematis planted along a retaining wall. we call it the wall of clematis. i have only had success with this. i do place small obelisks or shrubs for them to grow thru and they they do there own thing including coming over the wall. will sort thru photos and attach some tomorrow to this thread.
ones that i grow in this manner are polish spirit, paul farges, carnival, sugar candy, ramona, the president, etiole violette, henrii, pope jp2, perrins pride, john warren just to mane some. will do photo tomorrow.

Wow! I would love to see photos of those, Niobe. It's very exciting in these threads when you add your pictures. What an amazing garden you have.

thank you kindly. it's just mother nature , learning by mistakes, reading and time in. time in a big factor!
attaching best photo i have ever taken and it is of my oldest clematis, a magnificant villa de lyon. will do retaining wall photo hunt and send tomorrow. have a greenevening!

ok..here are some shots of my retained wall clematis garden.

and another

more

another...most of the blooms are gone down here on the wall. the pics made me realize i need to plant some later blooming varieties on this wall.

Very pretty, Niobe, thanks very much for posting these pix. And your best ever picture is very beautiful indeed.

hi wickerparker. was thinking about your terraced slope. why don't you consider designing the space with alternating rows of shrubs and in the in between rows do clematis. let them come up a medium height obeliesk and then trail over on to the row of shrubs under it. (or shoot up to the row above it in some cases)don't know if i am explaining this right, but it would give 4 seasons of interest, height and also camoflague or minimize the clematis during their off season or startup. it would also give winter protection to the clematis in your zone, which may be an advantage.
depending on what is behind the terraced slope you could go quite high with the rear shrubs..arbor vitae even. if that may be too occlusive when they are grown in, consider curly willow trees. these let a lot of light in and clems will even grow up them from the next row of planting. you could have a path thru it, going upward on a direct, or traverse line for interest and access. again don't know if i am getting this accross, but shrubs such as boxwood, virurnum, curly willow trees or shrubs, spirea would really give a designed look and offer many advantages. plan and prune each row successively smaller, the area at the bottom would be quite theatrical with the upward movement and interest inthe aternating rows at certain times of the year. what do you think?

Wow, Niobe, you have a great imagination! If only I had the room for any of that here in my city garden. Right now, I've got a small but pampered lily bed in front of the wall and other plants I have no other place for. The clems clinging to the sedum on the wall are very visible and get a lot of sun and are working well. Your suggestions are great and that would be a fantastic dream garden, and I will save this so that some day when I have more room I can try some of it. Thank you so much for thinking about it and taking the time to post. I've seen photos you posted of clems growing up boxwood and with that in mind I planted a new clem for my mother this weekend in front of a boxwood hedge. She was very impressed with my resourcefulness. I think it will do well there.

Thanks again for sharing your expertise and creativity.

my pleasure. from the look of your pic, with small slow growing shrubs like box it could work.
like a theater of green!

Hi Wicker and Niobe,
The features of a particular clematis will make a specific pairing interesting or not. And your picture Wicker reminds me of that. The plenas have a flower that 'bobs' on a long stalk so as the foilage gets almost diguised in the sedum the little flower heads 'bob' up and around!
It is a reminder to me to not only to look at color but look at form and other attributes for a unique
placement.!! Thanks for sharing . You always learn something!
I love your oblesks placed here and there for a shot of flowers in the air!! Thanks for sharing. All my
oblesks in the garage will be full soon! I have until now only used them in pots!!
Thanks again!
Julie