Just curious to know who here is growing clematis and what kinds? In the last 3 years I have really gotten into them - I am now a clematis addict LOL. I have about 9 right now but I do have a small yard.
Can we talk clematis???
Hi Dawn,
I'd like many more of the large flowered clematis but I need some more structures and I have to find the right spots in the garden for them. On the shady fence, they are a bit lanky and don't flower much, although Nelly Moser and Pink Chiffon seem to do well there. I tried a few on the trellis at the front of our house, but that faces southwest and they wilted in the hot afternoon sun. Now I grow that Clematis tangutica with the tiny yellow flowers which thrives in that hot spot.
How about you, what are your favourites out of your 9? They say if you have a small yard that UP is the way to go!
Sandy
Clematis tangutica
I'll be following this thread..lol..love them, planted them, and none seem to ever do well...so hopefully I can read your posts and learn...
This message was edited Jan 29, 2008 1:30 PM
I too am interested in finding out more about clematis. We had a lovely clematis armandii here for a few years, and then it just up and died on us. Sure liked that plant! Will have to try another one at some point. I like the fact that it doesn't lose it's leaves and stays green year round. Let us know what you are planting, what you have , and we will be reading with great interest.
I have Polish Spirit (very dark purple), Comtesse du Bouchaud (pinky purple) and Sweet Autumn clematises. The first two I planted too close together so they share a trellis and put on a very spectacular show all summer. They are all in a garden bed on the north-west side of my house and get only a bit of late day sun, as there's a 40 foot hill across the street. They do excellently there. The Sweet Autumn, which I've been told is invasive in warmer zones, doesn't do as well, but I think that's all for the best. It still blooms like a trooper, but first growth comes up very late-mid-June and it doesn't bloom until late September. Here's polish spirit and comtesse du bouchaud taken in its second summer. Its bloomed more densely since this, but I still like this picture.
Christine
Christine that is just beautiful!!! Love the two together!!!
sanannie most of mine have just been planted in the last 3 years so they aren't very big yet however I would have to say my favourite is The President - I have two and BOTH have done really well even in their 2nd year. I also have Nelly Moser and Comptess de bouchard which I love. I also have Dr Ruppel, Pink Champagne, Star of India, multi blue and a Jackmani.
the one furthest away is Jackmani and comptess de bouchard and the closest one is The President.
This one is Star of India
Nelly Moser
I had only a couple of clematis until a few years ago when the hort society did a workshop on Clematis at the home of one of our members(recently, sadly , deceased) - she had about 70 clematis in her yard! And I embarked on some more,
Against the house I have Hagley Hybrid ( the orginal, planted I think about 1989 or 1990) and Ernst Markham and Pink Fantasy ( I think) Growing on lattice in the raised veggie beds is Rouge Cardinal and an unknow pink rescued from a neighbors yard, I planted Blueboy by my hawthorn tree and it scrambles through the branches and some years ago started a clematis fence whic now has 4 A group growing across and up - Helsingborg, Francis Rivas, Willy and Pink Flamingo. The past 2 years, planted against fences are Polish Spirit, Markhams Pinkm, Joe Zary and Lemon Bells and Purpurea Plena Elegans, In the front yard growing up an interesting iron support I planted a couple of integrefolias Rooguchi and - cant remember the other - tag still in the ground not my book , Last fall I had a new pergola constructed across one of the back perennials beds and will be growing clematis up that too - Last fall I dfound an interesting looking yellow called C. rehderiana. Dont know how it will do here - growing season may ot be long enought to flower which might be a good thing as it is apparently rather aggressive!
Here is Rouge Cardinal - one of my favorites.
This is my old Hagley Hybrid
Ernst Markham I think
This is the clematis fence - only a few flowers left on it.
It is about a 10 foot stretch ,4 foot high chain link fence with wires running up at an angle to the posts at either end.
The picture of your clematis fence doesn't do it justice fancyvan. Its OUTSTANDING!
This is the new pergola with nothing on it yet! Space for at least 3 more - 6 if I plant them on both side of the posts!
Is that you Les? Yeah I know - need to get a pic when it is in full bloom.
This message was edited Jan 29, 2008 3:12 PM
yupper t'would be I another member of Fooly Grown come out of hiding :)
fancyvan your clematis are just stunning!!!! Nice pergola too - how exciting to include more clematis to your already outstanding collection!!!
I've never met a clematis I didn't like! (Although... I did evict some that got wilt repeatedly...) I think 'The President' should be one of the first clematises one gets. I never prune it and it just gets better each year. This is what it looked like June 8 2007:
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL524/1483676/2842594/258299255.jpg
I also like this combination with the lilacs:
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL524/1483676/2842594/152209313.jpg
(Does anybody here use Picturetrail? How do you get the actual picture to show in the post - I've tried all the options and this link is the best I can do!)
Woodoak that is lovely. Might put the President on my list! Which is already way too long. Come to think of it I have a new Russian Olive out front on which I could grow another clematis!
One thing you have to be careful about - pretty well all the clematis for sale here are grown by Clearview. And apparently they are known for mislabeling. So I never buy a plant that does not have flowers on it so I can be sure what it is! I bought a WIlly several years ago to add a pink to my clematis fence only Willy turned out to be blue! Got another one and know it is correct cause it had a bloom on it. The Non-Willy has gone to another spot in the yard.
fancyvan I have what was tagged as "The President" when I moved in. I've never got it to amount to much let alone bloom. Too hot in my microclimate, not enough sun in other places. If it surfaces in the spring it's yours.
Thanks Les!
Clematis shade instead of parasol shade like last year. That will be oh so pretty Carol.
Your blue clematis fence is truly TDF. Love the way you added wires. It was spectacular last summer.
inanda
dahlianut - I hope the reason why your The President is not blooming isn't because it gets cut back like a group 3. The President does its best blooming on 'old wood' so shouldn't be cut down, just prune out any dead stuff. I've never had to prune anything off mine at all. It will put out a few late season flowers on new wood from time to time but nothing like the late spring show on old growth.
I've had mixed success with Clematis. Finally bought a Jackmani which I nearly lost at first. But after struggling for a couple of years it took off.
And in front of the house, I planted two together. Only one has made it and now that we cut down a tall juniper and a sick Mountain Ash tree, it gets more light and is doing better. I have no idea any more what variety it is. Maybe one of you knows.
Ann
Edited to say it looks a bit whiter in the picture than I think it is.
This message was edited Jan 30, 2008 9:18 AM
Hi ViolaAnn,
I have several Clematis too...no white large white ones..but it is on my list for this coming season.
Could your Clematis be Candida
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/59173/
At first I thought it might be Henryi but Henryi has a darker stamen.
I am dreaming of towers of flowers..LOL
'towers of flowers' lol @ starzz
ceedub - that pink and purple combo is gorgeous.
fancyvan - Love your clematis fence idea!
Welcome to dalianut - I don't know if we can handle two Fooly Grown's!
woodyoak - wow, thanks for the tip about not cutting back The President. I have one on an obelisk that only ever flowered sporadically - now I know not to cut it back. In fact, I may move it because it grows up the obelisk then into a Forsythia bush - and I'd have to cut the section going into the shrub wouldn't I? Do you know if I can leave the unpruned vine in the Forsythia without damage?
Sandy
The President is a Group 2 clematis so only light pruning on old wood -blooms both new and old wood, I find Group 2s are not reliably hardy in Calgary.
Sandy there are actually 5 Fooly Grown members here!
Ann whatever it is that is a beautiful white!
I have The President (about 5 years now) which blooms OK, but not spectacular. I think I will add another type to share the trellis. I only cut off what appears to be dead, so different years are different heights. Thought I would put a Jackmani with it.
(another Fooly Grown)
Jo I would put a different color with it maybe a pink or rose or white.
Starzz - I think Candida petal tips are more rounded. And I do think the pale lilac colour is more pronounced than the pic shows. I know I bought it at Loblaws garden centre a few years back; so I doubt it's anything rare.
Dahlianut, I "recognized" you as soon as I read the name!
Other than Polish Spirit and jackmanii I have only the clematis types that you don't prune. My question is, when they get kind of overgrown as mine are now,is it okay to whack them back and start over? If so when is best?
Theresa
ViolaAnn
I thought it was a white one..sorry..
ACK! We are Fooly OverGrown!! :-)))
Ann, I had a white one called Arctic Queen, but it was more frilly, almost double. Note past tense. Yours sure shows up nicely in front of the brickwork.
Sandy
violist from my understanding those 2 should get pruned back every year to about 18 inches??? At least that is my understanding. Actually any clematis would benefit from being cut back when they get scraggely....they will only come back bigger and better.
That's my plan for this year, Dawn. All but one will get cut back to the lowest buds, usually about 12" from the ground.
I have not double checked but I think both Polish Spirit and Jackmannii are Group C and should be pruned back every spring or fall. I whack mine down to about 12 inches.
This clematis was given to me, and I have no idea what type it is, or if it should be pruned or not. I have it in a large pot and it is somewhat sheltered. Gets morning sun, but no afternoon.
Do clematis like lots of moisture? DH has a drip watering system set up and it is on the same circuit as my moss hanging baskets.
Any tips or hints??
That is very pretty. Our now sadly gone clematis expert said they like lots of moisture so now I probably water almost every day if it is really hot - most of mine are in full sun. I put a pop bottle shoved into a Lee Valley aqua spike at the base of each clematis and fill the bottle with water. Makes it easier to remember to water them!
Raymond Evison says with newly planted to water surrounding area to a diameter of at least 30 cms and if you plant in hot months that the plant should receive at least 1/2 gallon water per day during dry weather.
He also says watering reaches a peak during midsummer when water will be required each day unless it rains, gradually decreasing as autumn approches. stopping about mid October.
Thanks fancy. I am thinking that it is probably getting the right amount of water according to what you say. Thanks for the info. Anyone have any idea what this is, and if it should or should not be pruned?? Now that I have a little more info, I will watch closer as to what gets planted.
Do your pictures give you the date it first bloomed? That would be a help with starting to identify it (for me).