OK... HI everyone.
I am in zone 5a. I have a long fence line (cattle panel) that is in full sun that I want to cover. I bought some hops but want to alternate them with something pretty, hardy, that grows fast and is deer resistant.
Have I found the right place?
If so where do I start? I have read some of this and it looks like you don't just buy clems and stick them in the ground.
Any pointers would be helpful.
Thanks, Ginger
Gotta Start Somewhere
Beadman, clematis are slow to start... it will be several years before you will see the coverage that I think you are desiring. Clematis are beautiful, but fast is not a word I would use to describe them. If you really want something that will be hardy and fast, you might give a look at some of the jessamines or other evergreen vines... or maybe old garden roses. Good luck! Ev
Hello, Beadmom - if you're looking for deer-resistant coverage, I don't think you're going to find success with roses. I'm not familiar with deer-resistant or any other type of plant recommended for your zone and locale. If your area is like mine, deer-resistance is a relative term!
Hopefully, one of the forum members familiar with your area and circumstances will be able to give you some advice. Good luck with the search!
Do you want some variety along the fence?
for trouble free coverage i would plant Clematis Polish Spirit. That would be a nice color contrast with the yellow green hops foliage. It is an agressive clem, but you need that to keep pace with the hops.
a nice small flowered white clem that is very agressive and blooms earlier and longer than the over used "ternaflora" is Clematis Paul Farges. It grows very fast, and can be layered in from year 1 to propagate and extend the range of the display.
I have never had deer bother any of my Clematis, and i have a LOT of clematis, and the deer walk thru my property nightly as we are on a wooded ravine and it is their natural path. but don't know if that is a guarantee.
I am sure other will have some good suggestions, but these are my choices for the fence line you describe. nothing fussy.
I agree with Guru - those would be perfect clematis choices for your fence.
Dawn and CG, how quick would those give her coverage? Are those really fast growing? I had read on several clem vendor sites that all clems were slow to show much growth in the first few years. Is that incorrect?
Beadmom, have you tried morning glories? They are annual, but reseed easily here (zone 6). If they pop up where you don't want them, they are easy to pull out. If it is a long fence, it may be a more inexpensive option. Or, perhaps, a colorful filler until you find the clematis you want.
I was planning on adding some clematis to climbing roses. I like the Paul Farges (Summer Snow), but was hoping for a scented variety. (I have hears good things about the Polish Purple clematis, but my reseeding morning glories are purple, star of yelta.) I really like the clematis with small flowers. I am not in a hurry, I may even try seeds. Does anyone have any suggestions?
ClematisGuru mentioned Alba Luxurians in another thread, and I noticed it's on the recommended list for both ACS and ICS. It's a small flower, and it's white with dark purple anthers, so it would provide a nice contrast to your morning glories. Here's a link to it on Clematis on the Web:
http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=561
Thanks everyone..
I might do both. I would be happy to host and wait for the clemtis while raising morning glories. It's a long fence :)
Ginger
Beadmom, I have plenty of seeds saved, and my morning glories are starting to come up. If you, or anyone esle, wants some let me know.
Slightly ot, but for morning glories, I soak the seeds overnight or until the white part pops thru the hard seed coat before planting.
I like the alba luxurians. It is a pruning group 3. Do you think that it will grow back enough in zone 6? Will the rose protection (I plan to wrap and insulate the canes) also protect it?
blissful, polish spirit is very agressive and provides quick coverage.
paul farges is the fastest covering small white flowered clem. it blooms earlier than terniflora and longer, the blooms as a little bigger than the terniflora and a creamy yellowish white. it gives fantastic coverage, and stems should be thicker than a pencil in first year, and eventually an half inch thick or more.
both love sun, but vitacella polish sp can take some shade, i'd put paul farges, as i have her, in full sun for maximim blooms and lush foliage.
here is a view of paul farges. this plant i actually moved after 3 years, as it was just too vigorous for the original spot i put it in. i have layered many as gifts for people (it is not a trademarked or registered cultivar, more of a species)
here is polish spirit in second year, last year, partial shade, growing on an hawthorne tree. this tree has terniflora on it too.
i just put paul forges and polish spirit on a huge hemlock tree this spring, both were relos, so i may have some good photos of them together later in the season. i think they will be a fantastic combo. the paul farges blooms have a longer pedicel than terniflora, so the blooms are held with more interest, and as mentioned can start blooming in july depending pruning and sunshine level.
Wow, that's wonderful! Thanks for sharing those photos and the info, CG. I knew Sweet Autumn (terniflora) was aggressive like that, as it's as invasive as kudzu around here! But I had no idea there were others that would grow so quickly. I'm glad I ordered Polish Spirit! Do you know anything about crassifolia's growth rate? I put several of those in by a patio area along with Confederate jessamine.
I have an arbor on which I grow hops. None of my clematis could possibly compete with the hops so I wont give any advice on clematis . The hops grows up around and over the arbor and into the spruce tree next to it by mid July. I suppose if you could lay it out on the ground it would be maybe 30-40 feet! Probably because of the zone difference your clematis would be more vigorous than mine. Remember that the hops is an annual and you will have to pull it down every year. So you dont want to mix Group A clems with it!
Guru I wish my Polish Spirit would grow like that!
PS you might like to know (LOL!) that it snowed here yesterday and we have a storm warning for this evening!
i have grown the hops and found you have to rip them out mid season to keep them under control. that said, pulling pieces up for container and basket (full sun) contrast works better and is cheaper than the sweet potatoe vines, and they come back every year. but you do have to be on the offense to keep form being on the defense with hops.
snow! oh no! wow. challenging zone i guess...when the weather turns, you have to do it all at once i guess?
Guru what zone are you? ( and apologies but I cant remember your name!)
Guess what you do with the hops depends on the zone - I suspect you are much warmer earlier than me and that is the diffeence in the Hops.
Mine are not even up yet this has been such a miserable spring with a snow storm about every week and spring for a day or two in between!
And of course you need to find somebody who wants the hops for beer!
I actually checked it out once but it did not take much and anyway I dont like beer so I didn't bother!
I cant find a good pic of the arbor with the hops but here is a partial
zone 5 for ClematisGuru, (Deborah)
i pulled my hops out hears ago, and each year a piece of two comes up still and i put in an urn or something.
never did inverstigate the beer stuff. my hubbie too picky as he is a brit and must have his guiness and black and tan stuff....for me ,i'll stick with the vino and h20!
I got to see some Cematis in action today at Walmart. They have a LOT.....
They were soooooooo pretty. They were at east 2' high and some had flowers.
I must have some.
Next week.
(Unless you all tell me something horrible about buying them at Walmart)
Ginger
I'm a fan of Wallyworld; nothing wrong with their plants, including clematis. In fact I favor them because they're in blooms, and you can see exactly what you're getting. :-) Most of my collection are from local garden, and box stores. None from online orders I may add.
I too have gotten a few from Walmart....they were perfect......I have never ordered plants online myself either. Not to say I wouldn't if there was something I really wanted. However I still haven't mustered the guts to do it yet.....besides we do have some great nurseries around here as well.
Actually I got this one from Walmart 4 years ago this year....this photo was from last year though. The President.
Yes, I like the President too, and perhaps that was the source of mine back then. Oh, I saw Dr. Ruppel in bloom at WW today. As it turned out, I maynot yet have Dr. Ruppel in the garden. I may have Nelly Moser and Fireworks, but not Dr. Ruppel. lol. Now I'll be browsing for new cultivars. lol.
My DH is not going to be happy with us :)
Ginger
Most of the clematis for sale in Canada is produced by a company called Clearview - I think probably they are a major seller in the USA too. They do have a bit of a mislabelling reputation so I now never buy clematis from them unless the plant has flowers on it and I can be sure I am getting what the label says.
I actually saw quite a nice selection of clematis at the Safeway last week!
Lily, you're lucky to be able to find them at your WalMart. I couldn't even find clems at our local Lowe's stores. I tried to get them ordered by the nursery manager, but she said the only company that had them carries mainly cooler-climate plants, so there wasn't enough they needed to fill a truck. So... no clems! I've never seen one at a WalMart or Target here. I was able to pick up 6 cultivars at one of my local nurseries, but that's the only ones they carry. Another other garden center purchases from the same supplier, and the others have no clems at all.
Hi Clematis Guru, I am from Centerburg, OH. I am interested in trying some hops on a newly built large arbor. Do you have suggestions where I could get some in this area? Thanks so much.
order from white flower farm type place?
foertmeyer in delaware ohio has sold it before. that is where i got mine 15 years ago.
i will keep my eyes open and d mail you if i see any thing week as i will be hitting some stores looking for some herbs myself!
you can come here and pull up a piece or two or three, but mine is male so it never blooms. i do have some pieces that will get weeded out. how far away are you from the powell dublin area? i am 4 miles north of the columbus zoo.
I knew I really wanted clematis to grow with new dawn on a trellis on the front of my house and on a fence in my backyard. I had been hesitant to buy anything mailorder because I am so impatient and I didn't want to wait forever for blooms.
Thanks to the excellent advice in this thread I have purchased 3 polish spirit from Brushwood and I am so excited that it just may bloom next year.
Not to mention how beautiful it will be with new dawn.
I am a total novice and this is my first year planting anything and the advice here on DG in general has really been helpful in all my planning and plotting and driving my husband nuts.
I am sure your Polish Spirit will bloom this year if you plant it this spring. Mine bloomed a whole lot in it's first year even after I cut it back after planting it. That is an amazing clematis! You will surely be thrilled with it!