Clematis: Clematis chat: Success without effort, 1 by pirl

pirl wrote:
We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1252200/

A friend and I, both clematis lovers, were writing recently about some people who want success without effort. They either ignore the needs of the clematises or prefer to do things their way and most often they're met with unhappy clematises that could be stunning if they gave the soil and planting conditions more of a priority.

When I was new to clematises, 20 years ago, a neighbor told me not to waste my time because "they don't grow here". Her failures came via Michigan Bulb Company so we were not surprised at her comment. She was a doctor so I appreciated her knowledge of the medical field but when it came to gardening she was woefully lacking.

Success comes with effort and learning. The first clematises I planted have all survived and I credit the compost. If you don't have your own compost piles you can buy it or buy composted manure, which is as close as you can probably get. Don't skimp! Be generous and improve your chances of bountiful blossoms.

Here's Pink Champagne with montana Grandiflora: