Clematis: the Queen of Vines – Planting and Pruning

There are so many specialty plant groups of which we are particularly proud but no other gives us the pleasure we get from our remarkable collection of clematis. The large flowered Jackman type have always been popular and the choices available today provide a wide range of color. These varieties flower only on new growth and are pruned back heavily in Spring. Perhaps more desirable are those types that flower on old wood early in Summer and again later on new growth.

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Some of these varieties are Bees Jubilee (mauve-pink), Duchess of Edinburgh (double white), Lasurstern (large deep blue), and Vyvyan Pennell (double violet blue). A unique feature of the double flowered varieties is that the double flowers appear only on the old wood and single or fewer petalled on the new growth. Knowing the flowering habits of your Clematis is important so that you know how to prune.

Planting Clematis

Dig a hole 45 cm x 45 cm (18″ x 18″). Place 2 shovels of composted manure at the bottom of the hole. Soil mix for planting should be topsoil (no peat moss), 2 handfuls of blood and bonemeal and 1 handful of horticultural lime, mix well.

Clematis are planted with the crown 8-10 cm (3-4″) below the soil surface. This enables the plant to recover should it be damaged or infected with clematis wilt and so they may reshoot from those buried nodes.

Clematis need a cool and moist root environment, cool best being achieved with a mulch. Keep well watered during hot summers.

Therefore, remember the 4 main aspects on planting clematis:

  1. Plant in full sun (most varieties).
  2. Plant the crown 8-10 cm (3-4″) deep.
  3. Mulch the root zone for a cool environment.
  4. Keep Clematis moist.

Clematis do not self-cling but climb by curling their leaf stems around a support. They climb readily on a chain-link fence. On a wall, wires should be every 25 cm in a grid and held off from the wall by one inch or more.

Pruning Definitions

  • Hard: These varieties flower on new growth only. Therefore they require hard pruning every spring. Cut back to pair of buds near base in March or April. Plant in a sunny location.
  • Half: These varieties flower on new growth only. Therefore they require pruning every spring. Prune back to half the height in spring to obtain blooms on new wood. Plant in a sunny location.
  • Optional: Prune to shape only after bloom time. These varieties will grow in any aspect – north, south, east or west.
  • Light: Prune to shape only. These varieties will grow in any aspect – north, south, east or west.
  • No: These varieties produce magnificent huge blooms with eight or more sepals in early spring on previous year’s ripened wood. They often will reflower on new wood in early fall. Do not prune these varieties. They will grow in any aspect – north, south, east or west.

Clematis Care Tips

Clematis for Small Spaces

Fabulous, useful info and great pictures!

April 14, 2012 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Flower Gardening

Menards Patio Furniture Sets

Having a wonderful patio is a great addition to any type of home. A patio is like an extended room of the house but instead of having it inside, it is placed outdoors along with the beauty of the environment. This excellent area of the house is also like a living room. People can sit down, relax and enjoy the cool breeze of the surroundings. Cooking and other family events can also be held in these areas. That is why proper decoration and styling should be put in place in order to emphasize not just its looks but as well as its function. Doing this is easy once we have the right materials at hand. One great thing that we could do is to add Menards patio furniture. Read the rest of this post »

February 10, 2012 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Patio

Rhododendron Care: Preparation Yields Healthy Rhodies

This is the time of year when we receive and are asked questions on rhododendron die-back and proper soil preparation for success in growing these beautiful shrubs.

In response to a question on die-back: Die-back of the leaves and end (terminal) portions of the branches is caused by different tyes of fungi. The fungi is spread by splashing water, rain, infected soil and gardening tools. If there is a small wound or drying twig or leaf, the fungi will enter the plant through these areas and cut off the important flow of nutrients and water. Hence, the tips wilt and die-back. When the weather becomes hotter, the plants under stress will die more rapidly. Read the rest of this post »

November 21, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Flower Gardening

Native Plants and the Lower-Maintenance Landscape

John Muir once said, “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to plan in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike”.

The lawns and gardens of the modern world speak loudly of issues that may or may not be obvious. We often admire images of garden scenarios that lure us into making purchases, sometimes not considering that such images could be contrived – to do exactly what they’re doing – pulling our strings and making us believe that our garden spaces can look like the ones in the picture. Read the rest of this post »

November 14, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Flower Gardening, Landscape Design

Hows and Whys of Raised Bed Gardening

Building raised beds to grow flowers and vegetables may mean a little more work in the beginning, but the payoff is improved soil and lower maintenance on down the line. Raised bed gardening offers several advantages, including the following:

  • Improves soil drainage.
  • Virtually eliminates problems of compaction because once the beds are created, they are never walked on.
  • Allows soil to warm up faster because more surface area is exposed to the sun, allowing a head start on spring planting and extending the growing season well into fall. Read the rest of this post »

November 4, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Gardening

Garden Propagation Tips: Stooling and Tilling

What do you know about the propagation technique called stooling? I visited a garden recently, and the owner said that she only uses this method.

This is a simple layering method of propagation. The established parent plant is cut down to the ground, and resulting growths from the stub (stool) are covered with soil no more than one-half their total height. It is repeated after further growth, being careful to work the soil amongst the shoots and thus excluding all light from the base of the shoots. The soil ends up being 6 to 8 inches above the base of the shoots.

At the end of the growing season (plants are dormant), the soil is removed, and all the shoots are cut or broken away from the stool. Read the rest of this post »

November 4, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Gardening

Growing Wheatgrass at Home

A modern and refreshing idea for use in centerpieces and mantles is growing wheatgrass, it’s both easy to grow and highly nutritional.

  • Choose a container or garden accessories with good drainage
  • fill pot to about one inch below rim with pre-moistened soil
  • compost or potting mix (want to use a mix that is organic if you are going to harvest the wheatgrass) Read the rest of this post »

November 2, 2011 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Gardening

Covering a Fence with Ivy

The climbing stems of ivy can make an excellent covering for a wall or fence. This evergreen is a robust and versatile plant and, as long it is kept in its place and well managed with regular trims, it will make a good backdrop for the most flamboyant of displays.

Without support, ivy scrambles over the ground to form a rich carpet of green, while in pots it delicately trails over the edges. However, if you give ivy something to climb, it really comes into its own as it shoots heavenwards. Read the rest of this post »

November 2, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Landscape Design

Shrubs for Hedging and Privacy

Shrubs can help provide privacy to your garden. Choose the height and type of shrub you want, making sure that your choices are suited to the planting site. Then try either of these planting methods:

Staggered rows will give you a quick privacy screen. Use stakes and string to mark a straight line, then stagger the individual planting holes on either side of the line. Mark the holes before planting to ensure even spacing.

To plant a straight hedge, mark a line, and dig a trench along the line (two shovel widths will accommodate most plants sold in 1 gallon containers). Place the plants evenly side by side in the trench, and backfill. Straight-line planting makes pruning and watering easy. Read the rest of this post »

October 29, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Trees

Kinds of Shrubs

Thousands of shrubs are available to home gardeners, which can make it tough to choose. Here are some basics to help you understand the differences between them.

Deciduous shrubs – those that lose their leaves each year – come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and most have attractive blooms. Some have arching branches – for example, butterfly bush and forsythia. Common lilac and hibiscus have erect branches. Hydrangeas and witch hazels tend to have a rounded form. The Sargent crabapple and staghorn sumac have spreading branches. Read the rest of this post »

October 29, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Trees