Thanks Dawn. I have close to 40. I think my list is needs to be check though.
Bananna, Harlow Carr has been in the ground for 2 winters. So this will be its third summer. It did well the first year planted, I did not plant it deeper than the original soil line. I have not done any cutting back on it except to dead head because as it blooms all summer and I want to keep the plant looking good. Last year it bloomed until the first frost. It dies back to the ground so all I have to do is cut off all the dead vines in spring and do a minimal tucking and tying. As you can probably see, the stems are long enough for a vase.
In the past, I've been fairly conservative when combining colors, like my recent pairing of Etoile Violet and Blue Angel. My plans were to make a 24' section of fence all pinks, reds and white, but color of The President plays so well with other clematis that I might rethink my original plan.
Jeanne, My garden doesn't need the rain right now, but the Great Lakes still haven't fully recovered from the last 6 or so years of drought, so I try not to complain. I live in the Great Lakes Basin, about an hour west of Lake Michigan, so most weather systems that go over our area have an effect on the lakes and many head out over the lakes.
CG - great information on HF Young. I was going to move it into the border, but if will do better next year, then I'll probably leave it on the fence. It's a fantastic color.
I didn't expect that I would like Carnaby. Last year it fades badly and the blooms were too delicate. Maybe that was partly because it was getting too much sun. Now a viburnum gives it some relief from afternoon shade.
Ditto on wanting the clems to look tidy. I have been slowly removing faded looking flowers, but have plans on taking some time to really get rid of them this week, and those with just a few stems will get cut back hard and fertilized.
