I'm new to Clematis but am buying some plants to put on a chain link fence (for privacy) I have enclosing a 4000sqft playyard I have for my little, non-digging dogs.
My question is - Can I overlap the clematis plants, or do I have to put something else in between?
Also, would Salvia be a good plant to put at its base? My landscaping is all "cool" colors.
Clematis on Clematis?
SCNewbie:
I have seen it donw, and rather beautifully, with 'red', white, and 'blue' clematis. I didn't notice that there was anything else planted around the bushes, though. I do have zinnias growing with my clematis.
Multi planted Clematis are wonderful. I have planted two and three together for a beautiful show all summer. I've combined viticellas with large flowering ones.
The result is blooming all summer.
Have fun!!!!
Thank you! :) I've bought 6 plants so far... doing it in reds, pinks, whites & purples. Hope it comes out as pretty as I'm shooting for!! lol
Wow!! be sure and send pics when you can. Six of em will be gorgeous.
Enjoy!!! I'm so addicted. Want 'em all.
Oh, I can't wait to see some photos, either!!
Don't hold your breath waiting for the pics. ;) They're in 4" pots and not even going into the ground for another couple of months.
I've bought 10 of them now at eBay - 3 Pink, 2 Purple, 1 Black, 1 White, 3 Red. I'm going to put one on each 10' section of fence - that'll wrap most of the front for privacy. Hopefully it'll come out pretty.
Now, what kind of coverage should I give them at the bottom? Mulch, mid-height or short perennials, groundcover? They're going to be in full So Carolina sun.
Remember pruning! Don't want to mix 2's and 3's in this case or pruning will be a nightmare. I would mulch and start something small for the future so you don't have to keep mulching. The key is moisture - you can leave them in bare soil (not recommended!) if you were to diligently water them regularly. And in SC, that can mean a few times a day in the Summer! Good luck!
Yes, I've been watching the pruning groups - so much to watch here, for a newbie, anyway. lol
Would a short ornamental grass be enough coverage for the roots, do you think?
Ornamental grasses can be very tall. It might interfere with the beauty of your vines.
Unless you use something short. I use mulch and occasionally a short annual i.e, petunias or something bright and short. Or even perennials. are great. Try not to confuse the colors with the ones in the Clematis. What variety is black??????
I would go for a good, tight ground cover. Is it sun or shade? Moisture?
I vote for salvia as a front for the clematis. They're easy no fuss plants in shades of blue that would go nice in front. I've had great success with May Night, and I'm only a half zone from you.
I don't think it's dense enough throughout the season. Geranium macro or Creeping Jenny or Vinca, etc.?
Strell, the black (or "near" black) is Royalty?
Victor - it's a full sun area, clay soil.
I've been looking at a short ornamental grass like Black Mondo or Elijah Blue Fescue - the blue would detract from the flowers, tho. I'm looking at perennials now for a short white or some other non-detracting color. I've also considered a groundcover, but I have a huge yard and don't want to have to fight that getting away from me. I'll have a look at some of your other suggestions, too.
Thank you!!
This message was edited Aug 19, 2007 1:55 AM
Of the three I mentioned, Geranium is the best behaved.
In reading your thread I thought you would like to see my two together they are on a bench trellis. two shades of purple and lavender this was taken July 7th
I call this area "Purple Haze"
The first pic was the "jackmanii" in bloom this pic is the later bloomer Whose name when I bought it was "Perkins"
"Purple Haze" glorious. The butterfly bush is outstanding. The aroma must be grand.
The Clematis spectacular. What more can I say. I want to be in that arbor sipping anything. Beautiful!!!!!
Thanks for the Royalty info. Will look up. I like Mondo Grass or Blue Fescue. I think it would add texture without being overpowering. Both are low. Mondo Grass is great, but I can't grow up here in the North Country. It is borderline. Blue fescue is nice, and you can keep in size with trimming it. My girlfriend has it on a miniature train in her yard, and keeps it short and full. Very nice. Good luck. Almost any perennial that's low would be good, but I like the ground cover idea or the grasses best.
My personal taste!!!!!!!! That's what makes this fun.
I have a clematis Fence - started on a 4 ft high chain link but I have added wires in a V-shape from the middle up to the top of a nearby post for added height. The section of fence is about 15 feet. I started with 2 plants, blue and purple and later added two more (supposed to be pink but turned out to be blue so took them out this spring and replace with 2 I know are pink because they were in flower when purchased.)
These are Group A ( flower on old wood) because I didnt want to have to pull them down in the fall ( or spring) although I do prune some out when it gets thick - the lower stem area gets quite woody and leafless rather quickly so I like something tall in front of it and I have Siberian Iris on the east side of the fence There are a number of different plants on the other side but also fairly tall.
The pic was taken last year after flowering almost finished. The growth on the right side has mostly been removed this year but the new ones will cover it next spring.
Tillysrat - What a beautiful purple area!! I have butterfly bushes going in this week (in a different area), including a RED one I found on eBay. :) It's pretty!
Fancyvan - It's great to see that putting it on a chain link fence has worked for someone else - it looks great!! Do they always lose their leaves on the bottom like that? If so, I might want to consider a taller base plant....
Re loss of leaves on the base: I think this always happens. I have another growing in a Hawthorne tree and it had no leaves on the bottom 2-3 feet until this year when a lot of it was torn down during tree pruning. It came back with a vengeance and lots of lovely bottom growth - cant even see the tree trunk now!
So yes I would put things that are at least 2 feet tall in front of them if they are Group A. Group C is different since it is cut down every year so you do get more bottom leaves. I dont know about Gropup B since they are not hardy hear .
SCNewbie: Are your plants coming up?
We never put plants close to the base of the clematises. Their roots spread much more than you'd think and I don't want to be digging up their roots to move anything in front of them. All we use is manure and compost to cover at least a foot in front of each one. The dog fence has Henryii, Liberation, montana Grandiflora, Asao and Dr. Ruppel and it's beautiful in bloom.
I have nothing around the base of mine, but I need to know, is how to prune mine, I have new growth sprouting everywhere and old ugly vines,
The pics I showed before was all new 2 year growth took it that long to get there, now 3 years later I'MMM lost. I think I waited to late to ask for help. we'll take a pic in AM
^_^
Tills
tillysrat the Jackmanii is a C group and should be hard pruned in fall or early spring every year now - it blooms on new wood.
I cant find a record of a clematis named Perkins - however there is a company that sells named Jackson and Perkins so perhaps that is where the name you have comes from - do you still have a tag. You need to know the group to know when to prune. If it is blooming same as the Jackmanii I personally would cut it down same - if it does not bloom this year then it is most likely an A group which blooms on old wood.
Thanks allot. I took a pic of the Perkins, and research Daves. and found it under a different name have to find it again. wrote it somewhere. dang it.
This is what the flower looks like.
Hi jlp - Yes, they're coming up nice & healthy!! No blooms yet, altho there are buds on several of the plants. I ended up putting in 13 along part of the fence, every 5', I think. I'll post pics when I get some blooms.
Fansyvan. this is the one.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/130064/
PARISIENNE 'Evipo019' (N)
Large, single, mauve flowers with purple-red anthers. A member of the Evison/PoulsenŽ 'Boulevard' collection.
Group: Early large-flowered group
Approximate height: 1.5 - 2.0 metres
Flowering period(s): Jun Jul
USDA zones: 4 5 6 7 8 9
Pruning: Light prune (Group 2)
Raised by: RJ Evison & Poulsen Roser A/S
Date raised: i2002
Parentage: withheld
Other name(s): None known
Further detail:
Flower diameter: 10-15cm
Tepals: 6-8; broadly elliptic, overlapping, pointed, margin somewhat crinkled
This information is from Clematis on The Web
It says it is a group 2 or B so it flowers on both new and old wood. Light pruning only of old wood after flowering is how I understand it. Group 2/N are not reliable here so I dont bother to grow them.Some of you have much more experience with this group so please enlighten me!
carolvan
This message was edited Apr 15, 2008 4:40 PM
Wow, you are good, thats is great to know, thats is one of the reasons I have been afraid of pruning them, I knew they where differant. I knew about the Jackmanii but they are so inter twined on the trellis, this is not going to be fun to prune this fall, but at least I know who to prune and who not to. LOL but what strikes me is I bought them in a bag together as a pair, go figure.
Thank you so much, where did you get the info? I sure got nothing from Daves (sorry Dave)
^_^
Tills
http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/index.cfm
What you might try doing is tying ribbons or twist ties around the stems of the Jackmanii when it is in bloom and then try to follow them down to the bottom ( maybe 6-12 inches from ground) to prune.
How can I repay you? I am still a newbe.
Thank you, love the link.
Happy Gardening
^_^
Tills
Enjoy your garden!
You to
^_^
I don't know much about climatis, but I planted a lot of them last year. They are growing well. Here is a picture of two planted together, Pink Champagne and Candida. Just started blooming this week.
Here is a closup of Pink Champagne.
Here is a close-up of Candida.
