So far, I haven't considered purchasing any of the Montanas, but I've been reading about those offered at SSV, although out of stock right now. I love the fact that they evidently get very big. Can any of you clue me in about their growing habits, what type of environment they need, etc? Would they grow in hot humid climates? In other words, should I even consider buying them?
Please tell me about the Montanas
Montana can be huge to say the least, they like to have their root in shade like most clematis. Plant two or three inches bellow original potted soil depth, can suffer from wilt. truly spectacular spring flowers.
pajonica
you have to grow them. big. beautiful. vigorous. i am jealous as i can not grow them. i have a montana pink perfection alive for 4 years maybe, but it does not bloom here, too cold. i grow it for foliage and may protect it this winter to see if i can get bloooms, actually i had one bloom this year.
if i were in a warmer zone i would have every montana offered. they are amazing....
I know that you've mentioned several times that we "southerners" could grow some that you could not, but had no idea which ones you were talking about. Maybe this is why I don't see a lot of threads about the Montanas. Now that I know that, I guess I'll have to figure out where I have a lot of vertical space, which I guess would be the house itself. Maybe I should have planted one in front of the fireplace on the south end instead of EV. Can I assume they will take shade or sun?
I read that they mostly bloom May, June, but I've learned that I can't go by that here. I had clems blooming in April that the site said would bloom in June, etc.
This is very good news and something new to get excited about! Thank you for the encouragement.
We DO have numerous freezes here during winter, but it doesn't stay cold for long periods of time and never snows.
sooo jealous you can grow montanas. ssv has some nice ones. i love them.
I wouldn't jump to conclusions yet. Let's wait and see what I can do with them when I'm able to find and plant some. I've been walking around the yard the last hour trying to imagine all kinds of places I can plant them. I even thought about planting them next to the two very tall climbing rose bushes that I've actually considered digging up because the thorns are so awful and they're so messy looking. I've had two trellisses broken so far this yr by a storm which blew my swing off the deck. The swing will NOT be going back on the deck.
I also have lots of places on our brick house which could accommodate either climbing roses or clems or both. I'm not very creative when it comes to landscaping and I'm in bad need of some creative advice in that department. I've tried to imagine where I could put an arbor, but there is no place here that one would look right. Afterall, it's suppose to signal an entrance to "something," isn't it?
sharkey, i heard once that good garden design starts with being able to admit something doesn't work (or has outgrown the original vision), or is not your new vision and rip it out and start over.
unless you are willing to "undo" you can not "do" as well. that made a big impact on me when i heard it years ago, long before i was in to clems.
and taking out mistakes and "re doing" is along those same lines.....it is what gardening is all about.
re arbors, i think it can be effective just as a way to draw the eye to beyond and focus the landscape design, not just as an entrance to something.....for instance an arbor, and situated beyond it a tree, statue, bench or other focal point.
ssv uses clems as you might envision a regular perennial garden with tallest in back of border or on a structure, mid some smaller like 4 ft structures and the vigorous diversafolias and in the front other perennials or clems sprawling style over smaller shrubs etc. very effective and the number of clems in a smaller garden area was amazing. more clems equal more beauty vs expecting one clem to put on the whole show.
does this make sense?
you could put tall climbing clems and roses on the house, a statue in front of that, an arbor centered on that more mid border........lol and enjoy every step of the way!
"the number of clems in a smaller garden area was amazing. more clems equal more beauty vs expecting one clem to put on the whole show.
does this make sense?"
It does make sense and is a great reminder that there is always room for more ;-)
based on what i saw, we don't even know how to define how many can go in one garden. and i am a big believer in planting more than one clem of same type in a display....they were so lush and tall and healthy. have to move forward by focus ing on soil improvement and pruning to build a strong plant.
When Joy Creek or Debbie plants a clematis in the ground, do they use a slow release fertilizer in the planting hole?
Julia, I'll be waiting for her response on this as well. I've been mixing in bone meal and granular rose fertilizer with my soil mixture.
I grow Montanas but don't have the same heat in the summer you have. Plan on them taking many years to get really big. Like most clematis they start off slowly. I have two rubens and one other that I can't remember the name of right now. Here's Rubens at the beginning of April. They will almost surely stay evergreen where you live unless it gets pretty cold. I only lose the leaves for about a month or two in the winter. This vine is 6 years old.
This vine grows under the eaves of my house so it's mostly in shade and does fine. I'm sure it would be even more happy in the sun. Maybe the shade keeps it growing more slowly but I'm not sure.
This message was edited Jul 17, 2009 9:06 PM
Doss, this is awesome! Where is the base of the plant? This place looks so inviting and comfortable!
Before I plant something that will get this large, I've got to give a lot of thought about where to put it. Thanks for sharing this gorgeous photo.
Nice one doss. Sharkey they they can get a whole lot bigger than this one in time.
Wow - that is gorgeous, Doss.
doss , you know i love that montana. green with envy, but at least i am green!
sharkey they are a must in ay zone where they flourish. you can do a big arbor out back and grow some major ones!
and remember flora plena, a chartreuse yellow green bloom that is not hardy for me, perfect for you. ssv has it in their display garden. i love it.
What you see is a 16 foot stretch under the eaves of the patio. The vine is planted at the right. There's a matching vine on the other side.
I've come to the conclusion that the only way I could grow a Montana is to have an arbor, so I've got to figure out where to put one and find a good deal on one. I just finalized my order with Debbie. Had the pleasure of talking with her on the phone today for the first time. She doesn't list flora plena and neither did Joy Creek, but I found this and it is GORGEOUS!!! Is it the same one you are referring to? I found a flora plena that was pink, a viticella, when I did a search, but I know that's not the same one.
http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=16
I must find this one!
that one is gorgeous....i am not sure of the name of the yellow green one..maybe that one opens up yellow green.
some of my early whites open up pistachio colored. hope it is not a wild goose chase!
If you think the name was flora plena and saw it at SSV, I'll try to send her an e-mail and find out.
that pic was from the ssv display garden. ask her. i asked her if it was flora plena and i think she said yes.
let me know what you find out.
i will look in my books tomorrow also for it, the mary toomey encyclopedia. it may be in the florida group.
it is a beauty.
I'm plantin one o these in spring, added to my wish list for sure!