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Good Job Lee! Looks to me like you put some TLC in the transplanting process, so it's more your care than luck!

Does anyone else find that they need an extension on their trellis's for the clems this year. I have not seen mine grow so much in all the years I have had them. They are falling over , climbing onto what ever they can, and putting out more and more blooms.

Same here, Marie. It's akin to a fairy tale!

My computer will go out for repairs so I won't be online for a week unless I get to the library. Happy growing, everyone.

You'll be missed!

Yes, Marie, the clems are reaching out for their neighbors! It's raining too heavily to do anything in the garden today.....

Here in Ga. we have a beutiful day, no humidity and nice sunny day. My clems are getting a second flush, I got some epsom salt on them and alfalfa tea, and we had good rain two days ago. This is Sunset, she is the healthiest clematis I have, just keeps on climbing and blooming. Also on my short trellis I have Hanriy in the middle I thing he will have a first bloom soon, it is hiding behind the Coreopsis Senter stage container. Etelka

Hi Everyone, I am having some some unique blooms on my 2 y.o. Crystal fountain vine and I wonder if yours are showing these blooms that start and continue with only pin Tepal s. These tepals are the same as they are in the center of typical Crystal fountain, with no outer wide tepals. I watch closely and know these are not just blooms that have shed their outer wide tepals. Lee

Marie

I just let miine cascade back down when they grow past the fencing.

I noticed my clems are early this year. Mme Julia started flowering this past week. In the past, she has always flowered from as early as mid June to as late as the first week in July. Hoping to get another flush this year from her....

I just planted the Mme Julia, put her next to the Gypsi Queen, they are both #3 clems. Can you send a picture Carolyn22, so I can see it. Thanks. Etelka

Etelka

I love Mme Julia. She is one of my favorites! She is just starting to open for me - this picture was taken last year.

Went Nursery hopping today with DH today. Spent too much money, but had fun. Picked up more Clematis Tracey Lee and Gipsy Queen....

I have noticed that some I thought were in group 3 are starting to put out blooms. I will take some pics tomorrow to show the new ones in bloom. I will miss your Arlene. Come back quick.

Marie

My group 3's are starting as well. Everything is early this year. That is why I am thinking I can get more than 1 flush of blooms this year.

I also like Mme. Julia, a truly trouble free clematis. Last year I attempted to cut mine back to encourage a second bloom flush but I cut her back 2/3 or so and that was too much! The poor dear just sat, no further decline and no new growth even with a light feeding. This spring see my Mme. Julia doing just fine after the spring manure and Epsom feed. She is growing to about 4 feet now, she is growing vigorously and setting many buds but, no color yet. Lee

Lee

I am surprised, as I am already seeing color on my Mme Julia. Elmira tends to run about 5 degrees or so cooler than we are.

I cut back Mme Julia one year like you mentioned above and I did get a second flush in about September of that year. I seem to remember the second flush did not have nearly the same amount of flowers as the first flush.

Greensideup: My Josephine blooms did that. Really weird.

I have blooms popping everywhere. more off of the same ones before.

Here is another that is blooming and the one that is going crazy with growth.

Up close pic of the blooms, and my Advant Garde that I am babying. I see more new growth on her.

Pretty clem!

It's been raining, cool, and cloudy, so I was surprised when I went around the corner and saw my old clem opening it's first blooms. It should have waited till the first warmer day.

What variety do you think this is? I remember there was a mix up when I bought it. It's always been a big plant, but most things are in my garden. It goes up a 12 ft. ladder and partly across another 12 ft. ladder.( DIY trellis..three old ladders on a big, windowless side of the house). I cut it back to stubs awhile back. I think this is two years growth, as I didn't get around to any pruning this last year since It wasn't in the way and had looked so slender compared to previous times. It's just now starting across the top ladder. It thrives on neglect.

Love that deep color....

I have opening up that is dark like that one. I will have to see if I kept the tag next to it.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed Marie. Hope yours is a match and the tag is there.

In news from my garden, I am so excited. It appears my new C. 'Comtesse de Bouchaud' likes her new accommodations. Purchased on the 26th and potted up the next day, I count nine days in her new pot. Look what I found yesterday ! Brand new growth already. They are lower down, among the winter and mechanical moving damage.They look pretty strong to me, so this may be another one that does extra well for me. Sure hope so.

Now I really need to decide on pots and pot up the other two new ones. I'm using my tried and true method of growing new things in pots till I know for sure what spot in my city forest the plant does well. Always a bit tricky.

The clem seems happy with its new home....good idea with the pots.....

Here is a pic of mine citybusgardner. But I did not see a name tag. Sorry. They are pretty though.

Marie,

Looks pretty close. Thanks for the photo and checking for a tag.
I'm still waiting for the stamens to open, as that may help me ID it more positively. We're still refrigerated here, and the plants are all in suspended animation for now. Typical for Oregon. We get a few nicer days early, but it will still be awhile before I can stop needing the heat on.

Robin,

You would have laughed at me last summer. Yes, everything goes in pots and I try to judge where the best sun beams will be for each plant.

Last summer I decided to take a huge challenge and attempt to grow a zucchini by doing the pot thing. I moved it across the yard, as the sun direction changed with the season. In the end I had to get a strong friend to help me lift it up ( gigantic pot) on a table I placed where the sun was then at. Anything lower was deep shade. All I wanted was a few, enough to say it worked. Got one very small, short one. Oh well...

See, my idea is with the clematises doing their own climbing...they should work in more spots than what I have clems in now...without needing me to 'call a friend', to help lift them up higher, towards the light. LOL I see pictures of woodland gardens with beautiful clematises...I have hope.

This message was edited Jun 7, 2012 9:20 PM

Oh I have the same problem here, I have trees on both sides of me. So the morning sun hits on the right side of the yard while the left is getting dappled sun to shade. Then around 2 the right side is in shade to dappled sun, while the left is now getting sun. And in the middle of the tree opening ( looking up)my pool gets about 4 hours of full sun.( thank goodness for a pool heater) I have 2 trees left close to the house that if I remove I will get more sun in the morning to 2pm.
I have to move my tomato plant from the left side to over to the right so it will get more full sun, or I wont see a single ripe tomato till Sept...lol

I grew mini peppers in pots last summer.....one mini pepper was all I got! Brought the pots into the house....I remember my Dad overwintering peppers...mine died....oh, well!

I planted this clem, it grew great and was going over the stump , and then it just started dieing. and now I think it is really dead. What causes that?

Don't give up on it Marie. I've had clems disappear for more than a year and they suddenly spring back up.

Venosa growing through Hydrangea Quickfire. John Huxtable, a very reliable clem. Pink Flamingo seed heads.

Now I need to plant another to cover that old stump like I wanted. When you plant them with the bushes, dont you worry that they wont get enough sun. and when you do, how far away do you plant? Do you choose a bush /tree that will not shade the clem at the top? Meaning the clem can reach the top and come out. This would surely help me find home's for more clems.

Thanks a Lot
Marie

I take pruning groups into consideration when planting a clem with a shrub. For instance, I would put a group 3 clem with a hydrangea because I don't prune a hydrangea during it's blooming season and generally don't prune group 3s during the growing season, unless they get ratty looking. The group 3 clem gets cut back in late winter before the shrub has leafed out, so I can yank the old vines off the shrub easily. I will put group 2 clems with rose shrubs since I'm deadheading and lightly pruning roses all season. If the clem gets lightly pruned at the same time, it's a good thing. I don't like group 1s with shrubs. I have one with a viburnum of good size and the clem still overwhelms the viburnum. I have to move that one. They're all planted about 6 to 8 inches from the base of the shrub. This is one that was planted between the shrub and the house, not enough sun, but I love the combo, so I'll move the clem to the front of the shrub so it has a southern exposure without shade from the house.

I tend to forget which ones are each group. Are the ones blooming now group 2 and the ones that bloomed earlier group 1? Me I just stick them in the ground and if they dont like it there I move them. If they get rimmed good if they dont oh well I hope for the best...lol

If they just started blooming now, they're probably group 3. Personally, I think your pruning method is just fine. I tend to do "ratty" or "control" pruning. Too big=control pruning. Too brown=ratty pruning. The nice thing about growing through a shrub is that "ratty" isn't noticed. :)

What about he ones that bloom in July through Sept. Aren't those group 3?

If it's their initial bloom, they would be group 3. I found everything blooming earlier this year, I suppose due to the early heat we had. Galore is in full bloom right now, group 3, as is John Huxtable, also group 3. Generally, if it's initial bloom is April/May it's a group 1 or 2. If the initial bloom is June/July, group 3. Makes it easy if you lose track of clems so you at least know which are group 3 and can be hard pruned in March.

You are right about things blooming early. I hope I keep getting blooms on my group 3's since they are blooming early.

I've just started watching this thread, came in from the heat and had some computer time.
Here is an article that may help:

Prune group two clematis in late winter before new growth appears. Clip away dead and dying stems, leaving healthy wood intact. After the first flowers die, prune the tips of some healthy stems. Choose a healthy bud about 4 inches from the tip, and cut the stem just above that bud. Leave at least half of the stems untouched, or your clematis could go into shock.

Prune group three clematis in early spring when the buds show signs of growth. Cut all the old stems just above the lowest healthy pair of buds, about 6-12 inches from the ground. This group requires the most drastic pruning because old stems do not produce flowers. Your clematis will look a bit stumpy immediately after pruning, but will grow vigorously as the spring progresses.Some Group 2 members

• C. florida and cvs.
• Large-flowered hybrid cultivars, such as:
‘Bees’ Jubilee’
‘Elsa Späth’
‘General Sikorski’
‘Henryi’
‘Nelly Moser’
‘Niobe’
‘The President’
‘Will Goodwin’
‘Vyvyan Pennell’

Group 3 vines flower in late summer or in fall, on new growth produced earlier in the season.
These are the easiest vines to prune. Just before the season’s growth begins, or as it is beginning, lop all stems back to strong buds within a foot or so of the ground.
However, there is no need to cut a late-blooming clematis back so severely if you are going to let it ramble up into a tree where you want its blossoms held high.
Some Group 3 members

• Large-flowered hybrid cultivars, such as:
‘Comtesse de Bouchaud’
‘Ernest Markham’
‘Gipsy Queen’
‘Jackmanii’
‘Lady Betty Balfour’
‘Perle d’Azur’
‘Ville de Lyon’


My yard looks more like the first of July verses 10th of June so who knows what it will be in August/Sept. And this is the first year I've used Epson Salts on my plants - never used it before. I'm anxious to see what I have.

Pirl is a great person to ask about clematis because she's grown them for around 20 years if I recall correctly.

I just do what I need to and hope for the best. I'm glad I found this thread - nice information and pictures
Kathy

This message was edited Jun 10, 2012 10:11 AM