Blue Ridge Mountain Area

Clematis is a wonderful flowering vine that seems to grow and bloom well in some situations and mysteriously disappear in others. On more than one occasion and location I have young vines fail to come up one year only to reappear in a year or two. You may want to hold off on replanting a spot that held a favorite vine, just in case. This lovely blue flowered plant, grown and photographed by my friend Joan, is obviously happy in it's spot.

This is another of Joan's plants. Please click the photo for a larger view, it is quite nice.

One thing not disputed is a Clematis' fondness for water. A parched vine may hold on and display a few pitiful blooms, but providing a gallon of water a week during the growing season will enable the plant to put on quite a show. You can bury gallon milk jugs at planting time to ensure the water goes to the root area where it is needed. Poke some holes in the bottom of the jug to let the water pass through. It is easy to remove the lid and aim a hose directly into the jug. When the vine is coming into bloom, you can add some liquid fertilizer or compost tea.

Pruning your Clematis is not so easily explained, because different varieties should ideally be pruned at different times, if it all. Pruning at the correct time is important only for keeping the vines in check and the flowers within viewing range. Early blooming varieties will need no pruning but can be shaped after blooming. Some large-flowered early varieties such as Nellie Moser will bloom again later in the season and should be trained to a support without pruning.

If you find that your early blooming vine has lots of bare stems and the flowers are out of your viewing range, a winter pruning may be necessary. Cutting the vine within a few inches of the ground will not harm the plant and will make it bushier. The main show of blooms will be forfeited that year, but the show will be grand in following years. Clematis that bloom in July and August should be cut back almost to the ground each winter. They bloom on new growth and are fast growers. If you are not so inclined or not available to go out in January with your clippers, grow your Clematis on a flowering shrub. This will not only camouflage the Clematis' bare stems but will extend the shrub's season of interest.Smaller flowered species of Clematis will do fine without any pruning if you have room for them to roam.

This Clematis tangutica grew readily from seed, but most types require a period of cold treatment to germinate.
These are Joan's plants demonstrating a method of training the vines up a post. The wire attached to the post gives the vines something to wrap around.

I first saw this plant growing wild on a shady ditchbank, but I have learned it grows better with sun and drained soil. Usually known as moth mullein, it is a close relative of the much more common and much larger yellow mullein. They both originated in Europe and Asia. It grows head high and after blooming has cute little round seed pods attached stiffly to the stem.