It is probabely a stupid question, but I would like to know if one can espalier an evergreen clematis? They grow so messy, I hope I could do something creative with it.
Thank you, Christie
Picture is not the one I want to espalier, I don't even know which one this is. Deciduous, got it last year.
Firstly, a great idea, some original ingenuity. I think it would be a very striking display, a way to freshen the disheveled reputation of evergreen Clems.
I'm going to ramble on a bit her and just throw some ideas into a juggle.
I think you could, but they grow so fast it would take continuous pruning to maintain the shape for a small espalier system. What species of Clematis did you have in mind? I think the key to it might be providing a large trellis on which to do it. And full sun to promote even growth and flowers from top to bottom (also to shorten the internodal stem length, keeping it "bushy", too...). A true espalier may not suit the growth habit of some twiggy, wispy Clematis, as it relies on the structure of thick woody stem structure. Such plants could be trained into a shaped trellis.
My best thought is that the study resource for an espaliered Clematis would be from viticulture. Grape vines are very vigorous vines with long canes, (very similar to C. armandii) and trained in a strict fashion into cordons. Kiwi vine culture may also be something to look into, some of them have long, thin, growth.
Clematis cirrhosa would probably be suited to a five-tier ladder shape, perhaps ten feet wide at least, eight feet tall at least. Thinking about it, I may just have an ideal opportunity to test it. I have been wondering what sort of trellis to install, it may be easier after all...
One big stumbling block I can foresee- this could be hard to explain. A person familiar with espalier training will know how bottom tiers/rungs are trained first, as the plant will want to produce higher growth first, so it is a strictly bottom-to-top building process. If a step is missed, (or, for instance, say, the second out of four tiers is accidentally pruned out) it would be a miracle if it grew back- all of the rungs above it usually must be cut off to force it to grow back, and the training has been set back three or four years. The art of espalier (which I in no way claim to fully understand, nor claim to have comprehensive experience in) is to distribute the growth, vigour, and subsequently flowers/leaves- across the plant evenly, so that the bottom is as full and floriferous as the top. The goal of the first espalier was fruit, remember, in a small area- flat on a French wall. This would be my main concern with Clematis in general- as they are not peach trees nor apples- they are designed to shoot vertically to the top of trees and shrubs and overtake their sun. A design that is wider than it is tall would probably help. The Clematis' habit of hiking strait up and groping for the sun is deeply ingrained.
But it's worth a try!
I hope this helps.
Kenton
Thank you JamesCO, you sound very well informed! This is the clematis I have http://www.monroviastyle.com/plantinf.nsf/0/7E564FB39C794F8C8825684D0070F974
It sounds harder than I thought it would be... I don't have the room for such a big trellis there where the plant is.
But, I will try, and let you know what's happening, but above all, WHAT'S NOT...
Christie
Christie;
What a deliriously lovely garden I see behind it. Splendid little violas. You seem to have a very charmingly European way of cramming as much plant material into a small space as possible.
Thanks for the compliment- I have been talking to a lady who has been training espalier in a charming tiny cottage garden in town; she is doing numerous styles on numerous plants.
First, that Clematis armandii may just eat your house where you have it if you are not out trimming constantly. It will probably start by overtaking the railing and that small tree, I'm afraid. Its natural tendency will be to explore the best way to get to the highest spot (the edge of your roof?) in the brightest, least obstructed sun, and most of its bulk will squat up there.
Remember that this thing gets big.
http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=112
Maybe you can train it in a narrow line up your house and onto a support that arches over your garage door or front porch. What aspect is it facing?
Kenton
Wow... I thought I bought a sweet, docile little climber that makes mommy happy with beautiful flowers! Okay, I'll rethink this one!
I will ask my husband to make a support for it, over the garage, like you suggested, and I have to make an effort of keeping it out of my dear peach, who is in training to become an informal espalier.
I'll try to espalier the clematis there.
Thank you for the link, I added the website to my favorites.
Christie
