Just lucked up on some small Niobes at a local garden center for $6.99. Picked out the healthiest looking one and brought her home with me. They had larger (barely) plants for $18.99, but they're beginning to die back and didn't look very good. Still full price, but they did have a fair selection. Ramona, Kilian Donahue, Nelly Moser, Niobe, Jackmanii, Rouge Cardinal.
Niobe
Will you winter it in the pot or can you plant it outside now in NC? All of our local garden centers have pretty much had all their sales and closed down or are selling pumpkins, etc.
I really like the looks of Nirobe. If I see hope next spring that the ones I planted this year are going to survive in the shade, she is on my list for next year.
I can still get her in the ground if I hurry and mulch really well. They all looked so forlorn, I thought surely they'd be reduced, but no, full price!!
I just planted a few that have been here for awhile. Plant them deep and give them a good mulching and they should do fine. Earth temperatures are not affected by wind so they should root in just fine.
Thanks, Pirl. I appreciate your encouragement. Niobe is one I've been intending to order, but when I found it locally for a good price and no shipping, I couldn't resist! Ramona is another one I'd like to have, but they didn't have a small one and the plants looked so bad, I just couldn't bring myself to pay $18.99 for something that looked that poorly. I'll either order it in the spring or check the nursery out then.
BTW, your gardens are lovely. I always enjoy looking at your photos.
Thanks.
Keep going back to the nursery and make an offer on a clematis you want. The worst that can happen is that they'll refuse your offer. If they accept take it out of the pot before you pay so you can check that it has a good root system. That's more important than a lot of new growth. Cut it back to about 8 or 10" anyhow. Now is not the time you want growth at the top. You only want the roots to settle in and adapt.
Pirl, you're a pearl! Thanks again for some sound advice.
Depending on the size of the nursery they'd much rather cover their cost than ditch them. Very few clematis look superb this time of year. Ratty is a better description.
Have fun bargaining. Check all of them so if you get a good deal ($5.00) you can make a real killing. I'd buy every one you listed in your initial post at $5.00 (for the $18.99 ones).
Our local big supplier of clematis will not bargain since they hold them over in their greenhouse.
I did that this summer. The clematis were looking really bad and I knew they were wanting to get rid of them - so I made an offer. The clerk said that she'd have to check with the manager, who wasn't there. I'd said that I'd come back later and she said, "No, I won't get into any trouble for letting you have them for that price." And so, she did. I got them for $12.00 less than the original price. I told my husband I couldn't believe that I'd done that - my first. He said he couldn't believe it either :) You never know.
Good luck!
Hurray, Dathen! A little courage goes a long way.
Sounds like a plan, Pirl. I'll give it a shot.