Clematis still Live!

[Ann B.]

After the heavy winds, I was worried about my clematis.

Last week, I saw signs of a few starting to form leaf buds.

Today, I see numerous flower buds on one of them.

Who ever said that we could not grow these beauties here?

What a welcome thrill to see them come back to life!!!!

[3girls]

I expect lots of pix, Ann. These are truly spectacular plants. We have just installed a lamp post out front. I am waiting for the new asphalt drive to be done, and then want to plant a Knockout rose at its base shading the roots of a Jackmanni clematis to twine up the post. I hope I don't have to wait til fall for this. We are definitely on Italian time here. SIGH

[Ann B.]

Okay, here is the FFO for this year. There are lots of flower buds on this one. I am not a clematis expert, so perhaps someone can tell me which one this is.

I didn't have time to trace the vine to its pot. I am just thrilled so see them come back every year.

Surely, a welcome site....

[Ann B.]

Oh, man!!!!

This things are keepers. I don't have to do anything to them. They just come back and start blooming.

Some pics...

[Ann B.]

That last photo was taken a couple of weeks ago, I think.

Here's today...

[Ann B.]

Sorry about the bug bites. The lizards are eating as fast as they can, and the pond frogs are starting to wake up.

Another, today...

[Ann B.]

That last one is huge. They are so tangled with each other, it is difficult to trace down the tag.

Here is another which will get bigger and fuller in the days to come. They are so much fun to watch.

[sue salley]

What a difference in your climate and mine. My clematis is just starting to show growth. I thought I had lost it last year then found it. I made a bed frame (literally a bed frame) for it to grow on so I have hope for a good bloom season this year. I think it is Nellie Moser from the one bloom it had last year.
I have never seen that double on you pictured. It is beautiful.

[Rebecca]

First two look to be 'ASAO' and the thrid one down must be 'Dr. Rupple', they are both early bloomers. The purple one could be 'Ernest Marcom' or any number of early blooming purples! The double looks like 'Belle of Woking', but I didn't think it bloomed this early. Could be because mine was so later to bloom last year since I failed to keep it watered, and the roots cool enough!

I'm going to be cutting mine back this week (I think), and I'm going to try to get any shoots that get pruned off to root. Ann, since you've done this before, is it better to root them in sand or potting soil? I've got rooting hormone I can dip them in. I'd like to get several rooted and growing well so I can possibly have them to sell next year. I've only got 10 varieties, so surely some of them will root. If the one by the front porch is still alive I'm going to dig it up and bring it around to the back. I may pot it up or I could put it in the ground in the old raised bed. I have a shepherd's hook there it can climb on. This one is a double white or very light pink (can't remember) and it doesn't get very tall so it should do well in the raised bed. BOW just needs better care and more mulch.

On a side note, I moved some plants this morning. These were some I had in a little bed Ihad made off the south side of the neighbor's porch. I had put dried leaves and some old pine straw on it the other day to help keep it from drying out so much and wouldn't you know it, they pulled it off. So I dug up the two Columbine, the little yellow mum, the daffodils and the nice clump of "Kwanso" I had put there.

Yesterday, or was it day before, I noticed they had been cutting through the floer bed hat runs along the side walk between the front and he bak of the house. They were stepping on the White Conflower and the Lily bulbs that are coming up and really brusing them. So I put hoop stakes over the plants and blocked them from cutting through. So what do they do but pull my stakes out and cut through the bed anyway. So I make a notice on card stock, slip it into a page protector and tape it to the front hoop. That lasted a few hours then they simply smashed it and bent the hoop al to hell and back. My other neighbor was out and we were discussing what had happened to the last tennant who messed with my flower beds - loud enough for them to hear through their open windows. Will see what happens now.

It's going to be a long summer, I'm affraid. . .... .:mad:


Rebecca

[Ann B.]

The double should be 'Proteus' and yes, there is an ASAO, a Dr. Ruppel, a multi-blue, a carnaby, and I think a few others.

Here's the thread from the first year that they bloomed for me.

http://www.landspro.com/forums/showthread.php3?threadid=1608

They are in full sun right now, but in a month or so, the pecan tree will fill with leaves and they will be in filtered sun.

They have done so well in this location that I would like to build a bench with a trellis and extend the trellis so that the vines don't get entangled like they are right now.

I'm not going to complain about the tangle. I'm just thrilled that they made it through all the heavy winds.

It's so fun to see blooms. It was a mild and somewhat short winter, but still, spring is nice.

[Dazed_Lily]

What is the best compass direction to plant these ?(N,S.E.W?) I have 2 in pots. I have them on the south side right now. They are experiencing some tough love as they have been cooped up in the garage, jump started with superthrive which put on about 18 inches growth in about a week(I swear I went on vacation and came back and was amazed). The new growth is green and tender and they refuse to be forced to twine around bamboo stick I placed in each pot. They are at the base of a weigalia but cannot spend their lives there. How wide do they get ? Just wondering where to plant these babies. One is Nellie and the other is something like Fireworks. And would they like a small trellis ? Found two trellises buried behind some English ivy; also, found a whole oscillating sprinkler under the ivy. :D

[Ann B.]

Trellises would be nice. Mine just tangle inside of each other right now. They are sort of just going which ever way they want until I can establish some climbing support for them. Doesn't matter, they are pretty just intermingling with each other. They are still in pots.

They say that they need a cold dormant winter, and that is why I planted mine on the northwest side of my home. Actually, northeast would probably have done just as well now that the old pecan trees are gone.

[Ann B.]

I was worried about my clematis making it through that last frost after a somewhat mild winter, but the buds survived and are so very pretty. I hope to get a picture of them when there are a few more opened..

It is the large flowered (single) blue one, and I forget the name. Finding the tag is near impossible because the vine is so interwined with others.

Cathy, I note that I never answered your question about the compass. Mine are planted directly North of my house and fairly close. I chose under the old pecan tree because it helps to keep the roots cool in our summer heat but still provides the sun that they need.

Pretty, pretty, pretty... Pic later!

[Ann B.]

It's the blue one in post #6. Gee! I should get more of these. They thrive on neglect.

[Dazed_Lily]

Ann- Long time btw posts but nature tends to repeat itself . LOL! My Clematis (3) have amazed me by returning. They are planted northeast under pine trees and behind peonies. They just don't do anything more than make very delicate vines and short ones at that. No flowers. They seem stunted. Is there anything to recommend for that ?

[abbyjen]

I know exactly how you feel.

I've had several attempts at growing Clematis but manged to kill them everytime - perhaps they do not like the heat ???

At least yours are still alive.