So, here's the thing about clematis. They are perennial and will come back every year. Also, they make their blooms on the same season's growth. So, in order to keep them beautiful and robust there are only a couple of things to do for them. In the fall, after the blooming is finished and and frost has killed the vines, remove them by cutting the stems down to about 3-4 inches from the ground. This is also a good time to sprinkle a generous amount of well balanced fertilizer around the plant and then as soon as the ground is frozen place a 2-3 inch layer of mulch around them. That's all and in the spring you can remove the mulch and begin to watch the show all over again.
Because Clematis is a climbing vine, a good study trellis will give the tiny new creepers a place to hang onto. They will climb until they reach the top of the trellis and then they'll just tumble back making a mass of color. They like sun and partial shade and will grow best in rich well drained soil.
Things to do Today!
Here's a little trick my Dad showed me when I was a little girl. When you are planting a shrub, there's always the problem of making sure it gets plenty of water. We had a row of shrubs that ran along the side of our driveway for years and years. When we first planted them, my Dad planted a 6" clay pot right beside each shrub. It was a great way to water the shrub, because it put the water right in the root zone and would only trickle out of the hole on the bottom making sure that it didn't evaporate from the sun or run off the area into the grass. Later after the shrubs were well established, we took out the pots and filled in the holes.
I live with my husband, two pugs, a parrot, a cockatiel and 3 fish. That's a houseful! I love the garden. It began as a child when my parents introduced me to the greenhouse. It was warm and moist smelling all winter and fragrant with the scents of flowers all summer! My "new education" will teach me more about landscaping and gardening, beyong my childhood experiences.
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