Clematis

[catjac1975]

My love of clematis started in my early 20s. I was so broke some days I had to choose between gas or food. I was in Caldors one day when in the garden isle a saw boxes with photos of the deepest purple flowers ( purple my favorite color). They where bare rooted Jackmanii clematis vines $2.39. I debated for a while, I really didn't have any spare money to spend on a plant. My love of purple won out, I picked out a vine that was just showing green growth. I had never heard of clematis before, the box said head in the sun feet in shade.I planted against my dog run, picturing in years to come a wall of deep purple flowers. The 1st year my clematis grew very little, I was ok with that thinking it was growing strong root system. I heard with perenial 1st year they sleep, 2nd year they creep, 3rd year they leap. That's what it did, didn't put on any real growth till 3 year. At that time it flowered for the 1st time 2 deep purple flowers on the whole vine. For years after it never flowered again, it live for about 10 years only producing 2 flowers the whole time. A couple of years after planting my jackmanii I read about another clematis in a garden book Sweet Autumn the authors favorite clematis. Buy this time I was in a little better shape with money and went to a good nursery for my vine. Sweet Autumn was a rapid grower from the start, its flowers might be small but the large numbers make up for size. That started a life long love affair with clematis. Do you remember your 1st clematis?

I still have my first. They like a cup of limestone and fertilizer in early spring and you will get lots of blooms. I got mine from White's. You have to watch the hardiness when you choose.

 

[Nyboy]

@thistlebloom lets us know how sweet summer doing for you. My lawn guy has a bad habit of weed wacking my clematis when I first plant them. I even leave the little plastic trellis they came with. I am sure mine has been weed wacked.

 

[Carol Dee]

Thanks @aftermidnight I will give it a try. Maybe with cutings from son's vines. No cost to try

 

[thistlebloom]

@thistlebloom lets us know how sweet summer doing for you. My lawn guy has a bad habit of weed wacking my clematis when I first plant them. I even leave the little plastic trellis they came with. I am sure mine has been weed wacked.

I think you should be a little more proactive with your gardener NYboy, so he remembers to be careful around your clems. A good head smack might work...

My Sweet Summer love was in it's second year of growth last year and would have bloomed nicely if it wasn't for the stinking grasshoppers that defoliated it.
Oh! That really burned me up!

This year I'm going to have to really up my game against the evil hoppers. They are especially bad in that bed for some reason, but they aren't going to eat my clemie again if I have to stand out there next to it and pinch all their little heads off!

So that SSL will be 3 this year and I'm hoping for a dazzling display by my front door. I'm so excited about Sweet Summer Love that I bought another last fall, it's still in it's pot while I wait for spring and think about the perfect spot for it. Maybe the other side of the front door??

I have to thank NYboy for pointing it out for me. I think it might become one of my favorites if it performs as promised.

 

[aftermidnight]

I planted my Sweet Summer Love last summer so I guess this summer will count as year one zzzzzzzzzz, next summer I guess it'll creep, sounds like me, these old bones can't do what they used to. Third year leap...I sure hope so, one or two blooms will pacify me while I play they waiting game. Not only is it supposed to be wonderfully scented the color at least in the pictures I've seen of it sucked me in.

Annette

 

[Nyboy]

My landscaper knows my weak spot kids who work. when ever I question a weed wacked plant he replies my son was helping me that day.Here where I live kids of the rich don't work, they get first credit card at 13 and brand new car at 16 a job is after collage. My first job was 12 delivering the penny saver.

 

[Nyboy]

My garden dream is to one day have my driveway pillars covered in clematis. A big fail so far.

 

[Carol Dee]

I can sympathize.

 

[Nyboy]

these covered in clematis

 

[catjac1975]

NYB Some of the fancier Clematis are harder to grow aND MUCH Less hardy. I think paniculata is easy but not as spectacular a flower.