I have decided to try growing a clematis through one of my bushes. I have a purple sand cherry bush in the front yard that I keep trimmed to the height of about 5 feet - no taller. This bush (I call it a bush) is in part shade. It only gets a few hours of sun and it is morning sun. Any suggestions on clematis for this spot? I don't want a clematis that gets too big....I feel it might overpower the shrub. I am also trying to stick to Group 3 but will consider Group 2 as well. Thanks in advance.
This message was edited Mar 8, 2009 6:34 PM
Ok experts - need more suggestions here
Claire dr lune works well in shade but is a group 2
that is a beautiful clarie de lune! mine has been slow to establish over last 3 years, but i have great visions for it!
also dawn.....idea..the bottom of the sand cherry..is it a little leggy and open? (mine are, but i do not prune them much, yours sounds better cared for)
if so and it is sunny at all down there maybe a non climber like henryetta???? or maybe it is just too shady?
if shade is a big consideration, how about an early blooming variety like an alpina that will bloom before everything is leafed out?
an alpina pink flamingo is widely available.
love love love that clair de lune. was yours slow to establish?
Hold on I will see if I can find a pic of the little tree I have.....
Yay I found one......can you see my purple leaf tree? This is what I was considering planting a clematis on....maybe now that you can see it you can tell me if it is a good idea or not......
Here is another shot of it from a different angle.....
dawn, you can go in and prune the sand cherry deeply and take some of the whole upright branches out of it to let more light underneath it. it will be wispier and less full, but if you want sun in there, you have to thin it out vs just reduce height overall. prune vs sheer it off.
but i can see there is a lot of shade in the whole area....not sure between that and the tree roots if you would have conflict.
you can alway put a clem in and move it if it doesn't flourish?
good luck. sun level is one of the biggest questions people (including me) have. sometimes i gauge by spring time sun, then mid summer realize, after everything is leafed out,that what i tried was too shady. that is my biggest error...gauging in the spring vs later in season.
good luck. all good problems an dilemmas...it's all good in the garden!
Thanks Niobe I was wondering when you were add some of your knowledge and advice here.... I guess you are right....I can always "try" something there and see what it does.....I don't mind moving things if it needs to be done. I always give that little tree a good pruning in the spring.....but maybe thinning it out would be a good idea.
It is hard to tell from the pics but that is morning sun and as you can see my huge pine tree in front sort of blocks out a lot of the sun...however it does get a few hours of sun at midday when the sun is high in the sky...this photo was definitely taken in the morning.
thanks for your help!
Oh and gldandrews your clematis is just stunning! If I see one around here I will buy one!
claire de lune used to be sold under the name Blue Moon. fyi
Claire did take about three years to really get going and now is one of my best flower producers.
oooh so glad to hear that glandrews!!!
i have had other to take this type of wait period so i hadn't written it off. even my precious perrins pride was very slow.it is still gentle in habit but the blooms are so beautiful it has been worth the wait.
clair de lune blooms for me, but just a few. this will be the break thru year for her.
i bet NC is a great clem climate!!!!
was telling someone today, i really don't know how i kept my interest up the first few years in clems and my gardening skills and the ramp period made for a lot of disappointment. then POW. all worth the wait.
actually i do know how i stood the wait. i had been to a lecture by mary toomey, UK clem expert and amazing speaker about the rannaculae genus.....and i went again 2 years later to hear her. i remember i had 20 clems in the ground, nothing worth taking a pic of even. and i met a lady at the lecture who had 80 and i thought she was a wack o.....now with me well over 300, probably close to 400 with spring shipments. doing a new spreadsheet and count in a week or so....anyway i joined the obsession...and so glad i waited it out.
hope this is the leap year for my clair de lune! and i think it will be. drool drool drool
here is a pic of my perrins pride. it is a matte purple. i grow it with albaflora, non vining white clem.
That one is very pretty too!
Of course I have been researching some clematis for shade.....What do you think of Hagley Hybrid to grow on my little tree? I think the colours of the leaves from the tree and the colour of the flower might make a good contrast? Does anyone have Hagley that does well in part shade?
This message was edited Mar 14, 2009 7:04 AM
I do!
hagley always does better in partial shade. the color fades rapidly in full sun.
difficult to tell if your spot gets enough sun. all clems need some sun and most clems can take filtered sun. but no matter what they need some sun dawn. i'd thin out that shrub vs shear it to help get more sun inside the area it is blocking if you do put a clem on it.
hagley would be pretty with the plum leaves for sure.
my favorite thing about hagley is the little band of navy blue at the base of the anthers.
It does get some sun there Guru - like I said a few hours at midday and it probably gets some sun in early morning as the sun rises...the sun shines under the BIG pine tree and hits that area.....Well I will give it a try if I can find that clematis....if it doesn't work I will just put her somewhere else.....like you said before trial and error. It is all good anyhow - it is the joy of gardening!