I'm so excited that I should be receiving my first shipment from Silver Star within a few days. (Debbie is SO accommodating.) I ordered Avant Garde and Princess Diana. I plan to plant the Princess with Rooguchi when it arrives from another source. Of the following clems I have on order, which do you think would look good with Avant Garde? Should I make sure I pair it with a Group 3?
Ordered Belle of Woking, Tie Dye, Rooguchi from Brushwood (to be delivered tomorrow--unbelievable service-- and thanks, Bonnie for the coupon tip). I'm waiting for an order to be confirmed from Heronswood for Parasol, Fla. Seiboldii, and Omoshiro. I was thinking that either Omoshiro or Parasol would look good with Avant Garde, but they are both Group 2. Any suggestions?
It's obvious that I've caught the clem fever from reading all these threads late at night.
Need suggestionswhat to pair with Avant Garde
How exciting!!!
I would only plant group 3 together or group 2 together...don't mix them. In the spring it would be too hard to prune one to the ground and not the other because they do become very tangled together.
I agree with Dawn. Keep to the same pruning regimen to make life easier.
I like Group 3's because they're easier to prune (for me, anyway) but I'm going to experiment with at least one Group 1 next year.
Both "Avant Garde" and "Princess Diana" are both beautiful Clematis and are sun lovers! I wouldn't suggest mixing Groups 2 & 3 until you get more experienced with Clematis.
If you eventually decide to mix group 2 & 3 together, you'll need to treat them both as a group 3, which means hard pruning. Some of the earlier group 2 blossoms will be sacrificed. Group 3's need a hard prune (about 18" above ground level) because they bloom on new wood.
Definitely keep your lighter colored & white Clematis in partly shaded areas. Otherwise, their color will be bleached out by the sun.
A dark purple like "Etoile Violette","Jackmanii" would look good...just make sure they are of the pruning group 3's..Jeanne
Good suggestion Jeanne....I have Etoile Violette and I also have Polish Spirit that did awesome in my garden in the first year...tons of blooms. They are a darker purple but the same pruning group.
alternative POV 1: the clematis collars i make and place around each of my clems. (top 3 or 4 inches from a 12 to 18 inch nursery pot cut off and inserted around the clem to retain soil) make it easy to see which is which when pruning time rolls around. avante garde is a little leggy at the bottom and a low blooming type 2 like john warren would be easy to distinguish in the collars. we should all hope our type 2's are so vigorous we couldn't sort it out......
the collars have really helped me, i have some structures with 5 or 6 collars. around them holding different clems. being able to easily see which plant is which has been useful through out the growing season. of course, once in a while a clem moves some sprouts outside of the collar but this usually happens only with a very vigorous, mature clem.
alternative POV 2: i have varigated euyonmous (sp) at the base of avante garde to fill in. avante garde is so victorian and frilly, as well as a long lasting bloom period, i am not sure it needs another clem with it vs something to fill in the base.
(POV = point of view)
These are all great ideas. According to what I've read, Avant Garde can get between 9 to 15 ft., so I can see why I might not need anything to pair it with, It's just that I've ordered more than I can find room for. I guess I'll have to start digging again and make a new flower bed!!! The only mistake I've made so far (that I know of yet) is planting a 2 and 3 together, but it's not too late to add the collar. They've only been in the ground a week. One is climbing (last year's plant), but the other was a small liner--no sprouts yet.
If I pair two new ones, dig a very large, deep hole, can you put both in the same hole using collars to separate them? I just went to buy my husband a nice steak so that when I ask him to dig in this clay again, I won't feel so guilty. (He works and I'm retired.) I need quite a few new holes dug very soon.
I may just put some of the liners in gallon pots for a while until I have a place for them.
in my experience ,yes to two in the BIG hole with two collars. clems like to have root buddies, as long as they have enough room. this makes them the roots deeper not wider and from that be hardier and dry out less too!