Nelly Moser Clematis

I am about to purchase a few Clematis.

They will be my first ones, so I have a lot to learn.

I would like one for an area that doesn't get a whole lot of sun. I hope to improve on the amount of sun by taking down a couple of trees, but it still will be partial shade.

I have read that Nelly Moser is one of the best clematis for shade. Does anyone know this to be ture from experience? One reference said "I have it in a spot where it only gets a few hours of morning sun and it's doing great".

I also would like a variety to grow on my "Twig Chair" which I will post a picture of . This one can go where there is full sun, but I'd sure like a vigorous one that won't take a long time to produce lots of flowers.

I bought nelly moser last year. put it in mostly shade, though it got 1-2 hours of afternoon sun. I was really concerned it wasn't going to come back 'cause it took a beating from that sun, however, I was delighted that it came back in March of this year, looking much stronger that year before. I've yet to get blooms but now I know that it's meant to stay with me. I would strongly recommend.

Thanks vossner, I hope you get lots of blooms.

I think a "Betty Corning" would be perfect for your chair. The blooms are smaller than most, but are slightly fragrant and it blooms all summer long, and is a very vigoruos grower. I have one and I really like it. It is sorty "dainty" looking. Lou

Thanks Lou,
I'm off to research your Betty Corning.

Tree,
I am growing a Jackmanii(sp?) that only gets a few hours of early morning sun. I set it out last year and it grew like crazy and bloomed nicely too. I wasn't really expecting it to do anything the first year but it surprised me. Also, I am growing 2 Nellies- 1 in part shade and 1 in almost full shade. Good luck!!

Thanks berrygirl!

I do think I will try a Nelly in my shaded area. Still trying to decide on a few other varieties. I saw a beautifu blue one named "Barbara", and I like the looks of "The President".

Actually there are way too many that I like. ;-)

C.' Nelly Moser' is better without too much sun because the sun will bleach out the beautiful coloring of the flowers quickly. I have mine growing on a trellis on the north side of my house where it gets very little sun. The blooms keep their bright colors very nicely. My sister has her's in full sun all day. Her blooms show the proper coloring only when they first open, then quickly fade to white with the slightest pale pink bar, a very washed-out appearance.
I also like C.'The President'. The flowers are huge and mine were dark purple/navy blue in color, but if I didn't keep it pruned back yearly it only bloomed at the very top of the vine (a very high one, too!) where I couldn't see them to their best advantage.

Wow. What a pretty pink flower.

I know this can't be, but your twig chair looks like it has leafed out twigs coming out of the top. Tell me that is not so. LOL. I just love your chair by the way!!

Thanks everyone for all the great input.

Beautiful picture SabraKahn.

Kell ... Your eyes do not decieve you, those are leaves, but that picture was taken shortly after I made the chair, so it still had leaves on some of the "twigs". They have long since dried up and blown away in the wind.

I am so impressed. That is so beautiful. You are so talented!

i was admiring the chair too. so you made that? pretty talented!

Thanks you guys, but not so talented.................. I took a one day class at a local nursery and when the day was done, I had a chair. Doesn't take all that much talent when you have someone showing you how to do it every step of the way. ;-)

Obvioulsy, you haven't met me. LOL

So you are going to let a delicate vine grow up thru it? How great.

I'll post a picture when the vine is growing ................. may not be much to show until next year.

Hi Tree! I agree with Sabra for Nelly. Too much sun really hurts the color. I've planted about 75 clematis ("planted" being a key word since not all of them took off). Just when you're sure one is never going to pop up and grow it does. It happened twice within a foot this year.

For the chair I'd go with something bright. The chair is beautiful but I doubt if a dark one will show up well. I have 'The President' growing up a Magnolia.

The quickest one to take off for me was Clematis Montana Grandiflora. It went 20' plus the second year. The shape of the flower is more like a dogwood bloom than the huge clem's like 'The President'. They have a C.Montana that has a pink flush to it but I've never grown it. 'Sweet Autumn Clematis' can take over the world and be a chore to prune unless you feel like clipping it every week.

Think about the class (they're divided into classes I, II, and III regarding pruning) when buying since some, like Jackmanii, class III, are pruned to about 12" from the base each spring. Do you really want to be ripping the dried out top of the vine from the chair??? I don't think so. Easier to get one that blooms on new and old growth.

Arlene (pirl)

Thanks Pril for the great information.

I had thought that I would be better off with the chair as a trellis with one that did not need pruning back. I guess that would be class I or II.

I ordered 3 clematis from Garden Crossings in MI ... it got rave reviews at the Garden Watch Dog.

Got

Nelly Moser for my shaded area.

The President ... just because I like large flowers, not sure where it will go, but have lots of possabilities.

and
Clematis 'Hania' (maybe for the chair)

Flower Size: 8" A stunning newer bi-color variety with velvety purple-red petals with light pink margins. The young foliage has a purple cast to it. Awarded the Bronze Medal on the Planitarium 2002 Arboricultural Trade Fair.

Prune Group 1 - Prune only after flowering is completed by removing any weak or dead stems. These varieties flower on the previous season's growth.
Purple Red
zones 4-9
Height 6-8 Feet
Spread 15-18 Inches

picture of Hania is from Garden Crossing's website.

This message was edited May 7, 2005 2:31 PM

Oh yes! I can see the Hania on the chair and around the base of the chair some light lavender/pink low annual (a lot of them: possibly impatiens - plant with lots of compost to keep roots of impatiens and clematis real cool) to complement the edge of the Hania. Sure to be a big hit! Send photos when it's in bloom - please!

Pirl,

I like the idea of the impatiens around the base. I'm still debating about what to grow on the chair, but I will plant some kind of pink annual around the base of Hania no matter where it ends up.

I'm now thining that an annual may work better on the chair ..... just not sure, but I better make up my mind pretty soon.

Thoughts now are running tword a bright orange Thunbergia ............... (did I spell that correctly? if not, excuse my spelling.)

DH and I were just at a show and a guy from the local Dahlia society was there. You could do some border dahlias in a pot on the chair. This guy puts empty but capped water bottles at the bottom of big planters so they can be moved and won't be too heavy. I don't know how strong the chair is but I wouldn't want anything to happen to it so be careful of the weight you center on the seat.

I have two Nelly Moser's on an old pine stump and it takes two (in full sunshine) to cover it. I'm thinking that maybe you're concerned that one Nelly will hide the chair. I doubt it. Maybe mine have to contend with the old pine roots. Good luck with it and remember if I can help with any clematis I'd be happy to.

Arlene

Thanks Arlene,

I may need some more help eventually, I'm just starting to collect clematis.

Here's another place I was thinking about planting some ..........

Not on every Post, but a few of them. What do you think, too much?

There are 5 post down each side, and then a gate on the each end.

Just in case what I am growing in the above "Blue Garden" effects what or how many Clematis I should grow in it .....

The two center beds have permanent "residents" ....
The one on the right side is where I have some Asparagus, and also where I grow my garlic.
The one on the left side has Raspberry plants. (Probably a mistake, but I put them in there last Fall "until I found a better place"), they have spread like crazy so they will be staying there.

The other 4 beds are going to be used for Daylily Seedlings.

Raspberries are so wonderful I hate to say "Move them now or regret it forever" but I will. Their roots will expand like wildfire into the nice neat beds. Could you put them on the side of a garage or against a rear property line? Much easier moving them now than facing the situation we have where they invade daylily testing beds on one side of the vegetable garden and they also grow into that vegetable garden. We made still another error of a Blackberry Bush which has long canes and has rooted itself in the asparagus bed.

It's hard to tell which direction is which. The raspberries can do with full sun in front of them and the north behind them.

The clematis would be lovely on every other pole. You could string up something across from pole to pole and let them intermingle. Get the same group numbers so pruning isn't a problem.

It would be ideal if you planned a garden closer to your home, maybe nearer to a patio, so your family and friends could enjoy the daylilies. Then you could put up a tuteur or obelisk and let some clematis roam through it. They aren't all wildly aggressive. The wildest one I know of is Sweet Autumn Clematis.

Arlene

Arlene,

Do you think the Raspberries will even escape the raised bed it is in? The soil underneath and in the aisles is pretty much just clay.

You probably can't tell from the picture, but this garden is just off the back of our house. We have a screened in elevated porch (over a walk out basement) where we spend a lot of time and it's got a perfect view of this garden.

Kathy/Tree_Climber,

Oh those raspberries just delight in escaping. If they get in the lawn you can just keep mowing them down but don't let them spread to any other bed or they'll get so thick you won't even be able to pick the ones in the center. We have kept it to a five foot deep area by 20' in width.

A raised porch with a view of a garden is heaven on earth. Lucky you!

Arlene/pirl

OK, Arlene ................ you've convinced me ..... there out of there. Now to find another place for them ....

We have wild raspberries, but I was nievely hoping that the cultivated varieties were better behaved. I think deep down I knew better, and was just in denial. ;-(

Just keep after whatever babies haven't surfaced yet. You can keep the babies or give them away. Somewhere in Dave's Gardens forums there's a page for recipes and a person with sooooooo many wonderful sounding raspberry recipes. It's worth a look. They are just so wonderful when you're outside gardening and need a little something juicy!

I had 4 plants in that spot, two of which were golden berries (I'd have to look at the tag to remember the exact variety), but those are the ones that have really spread. I only got a few berries of them last year, but they were delicious! Definately worth the effort to move.

Tree_Climber, I LOVE that twig chair! What kind of wood did they have you use? I think something like that would be lovely on a porch, next to a porch, in a garden or a yard, just about anywhere! You did a fantastic job!

Oh My Gosh, you weren't kidding when you said there were sooooooooo many recipes.

I think I found the thread, here's a link for it.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/487992/

I managed to lose 4 pounds gardening, so far, this year. I'd like to lose 20 more and know I can do it but not if I get involved with those fantastic recipes. I swear the names are even fattening! Wonder if DH would mind Raspberry Crumb Cake instead of Pork Chops for dinner some August night?

Tree - I was just reading through the entire thread and noticed your post of 5/22 at 2:22
Oh those goldens. Aren't they habit forming. We've never made it into the house with even a handful.

Sorry, I was into raspberries and got the wrong page! Oops.

the Goldens are indeed delicious Arlene.

I've purchased the following Clematis:

2 of Nelly Moser for my shady spot ............. discovered the chickens love these things and had to protect them with some chicken wire and hardware cloth.

1 of Warsaw Nike and 1 of Pink Fantasy, which I've planted together on a large trellis on our Wrap Around Porch, and to fill in for year one, I added an annual Moon Flower Vine.

Also purchased, but haven't planted yet: (probably destined for the blue garden)
1 of The President
1 of Hania
1 of Climador aka Konigskind
1 of Henryi
1 of Sunset

You obviously got the Clematis fever from DG through the communication lines! I haven't had Hania, Climador, Sunset, Warsaw Nike or Pink Fantasy. The last two I have seen and they should make a great looking couple! Knew I saw the Hania recently or heard about it and it was you. Now I'll just have to check out Climador and Sunset.

Did you buy them in the pots with growth already begun or by mail order or at a nursery in the cardboard tubes?

I'll write when I've checked them out. Wish I had room for more. . . .hmmm

I purchased most of them at various nurseries in my area.

I ordered Hania, The President & one Nelly Moser from a mail order company in Michigan.

I found them at the "Watchdog" and they had rave reviews. I was very happy with the size and quality of what I received, plus the prices were very reasonable. They were in pots, not tubes and very nice size plants.

You can check them out by clicking on Garden Watch Dog at the top if you're interested their name is "Garden Crossings".