More and more gardens today are emphasizing outdoor living areas. The backyard is where members of the family and friends can gather for rest and play, and considerable attention is given to the furnishings of these areas.
All too often overlooked are the “living” drapes or curtains. The plants play an important part because of the finished appearance they add to the outdoor living rooms.
Among plants that can be used for this purpose is the hybrid clematis.
For the variety of the colors and forms of their blooms, few flowering plants can surpass them. A garden adorned with the showy sprays of the white Henryi against a backdrop of Clark green yew or with the deep purplish-blue blooms of Lasurstern climbing skyward on a brown-stained cedar post has a compelling appeal.
Even the comparatively small salmon Duchess of Albany, with its shapely flowers, presents a dramatic appearance that is a diverting sight.
In our garden, the clematis parade usually starts with the carmine-red Ville de Lyon, although Nelly Moser, a pale mauve and white, with bright red bars, is a close second. We can be reasonably certain that these plants will start to show color on about the 15th of May.
The individual blossoms of Ville de Lyon are smaller but flower in great profusion – a hundred or two covering half the garage wall. On the opposite side, Nelly Moser produces much larger blossoms in a lesser number.
A curved arch made of metal pipe, seven feet high, supports Comtesse de Bouchaud and ‘Madame Edouard Andre.’ The lush growth and extraordinary amount of bloom of Comtesse de Bouchaud are amazing.
Without exaggeration, this plant bears at least 500 rosy-lilac blossoms during its first blooming period, completely covering its side of the support and most of the curve of the arch. On the other side, Madame Edouard Andre contrasts with its reddish-purple flowers and more restrained growth.
However, both start to flower before the other two have faded. All four, though different in color, are breathtaking.
Unless you have complete shade, you should not have particular difficulty with clematis. Although plants need shade at their roots, the tops must receive at least six hours of sunlight. Therefore, a dark green backdrop is ideal, and we use both Japanese yew and evergreen climbing euonymus and a stone fence topped by a link fence, which surrounds the garden.
We also have clematis against a building and on a cedar post in the flower garden. English gardeners use a pile of brush, though we do not have space for this method. In this country, climbing roses are recommended as supports, but we feel that pruning time would present difficulties to both the clematis and roses.
Transplanting Clematis
Clematis are easy to transplant. If done in the early spring before growth starts, preferably on a shady morning or evening, there will be no setback if the plant is moist and the new location is adequately prepared beforehand.
A new plant, which has probably traveled across many states, will need special attention no matter the transportation methods or how meticulous the packing.
Location
The first step is to decide on the location.
If you plan to use a stained cedar post for support, set it in cement well before arrival. To support the vines on cedar posts,, we use staples attached to plant ties. Only a bamboo stake is needed to direct a plant on an evergreen hedge.
We have attached wide sheets of chicken wire on the garage walls while along our azalea beds, an antique iron fence supports three plants.
Soil Preparation
Proper soil preparation is the next step after the locations have been determined and the kinds of supports erected. The plant hole should be much larger than the spread of the roots of two-year-old plants.
Make it deeper and wider than it seems necessary, and fill the bottom with loose, friable garden loam, which has been mixed with a generous amount of dried cow manure. We use a great quantity since clematis are heavy feeders.
If soil is heavy clay, lighten it with a mixture of fine cinders or sand. Insert a bamboo stake next to the stem of a new plant and fasten it loosely to guide it toward its permanent support.
Water the newly-planted vine well, and catch it carefully until it is established.
Shade the Roots
To provide shade to the roots, plant perennials, such as phlox, nearby and apply a mulch to conserve moisture and control weeds. Because the fine feeding roots are near the surface, avoid cultivating. Instead, we use peat moss, though other materials can be used.
Since many of our vines have two blooming periods, and sometimes three, we feed, using the same fertilizer, in the spring and fall. We mix it with water and guide it around the plants. During hot, dry periods, we water gently but deeply.
Established Clematis
Once well established, clematis has few ills and troubles. The brittle stems are attractive to rabbits and field mice. When there are indications of mice runways, place a loose collar of line mesh chicken wire, six to eight inches high, to discourage winter nibbling.
We were not surprised when one of our oldest plants became a victim since we had been told much about the sudden killing power of “wilt,” we were not surprised when one of our oldest plants became a victim. The first-season buds on Nelly Moser were long, pointed, and promising. But one morning, we noticed that the vine had wilted and was drooping. We were told to destroy all parts of the plant, even the supports, so the disease could not spread to others.
This we did, along with some nearby perennials, but fortunately, the roots of the clematis were not harmed. Unfortunately, before the season was over, a new shoot appeared. The following spring, the vine followed the same pattern as the previous year, growing as high as the garage eaves and suddenly wilting again.
Reoccuring Wilt
This occurred for four years until we came across an article published in Holland, where many clematis are grown, which stated that clematis is not the victim of “wilt” but nematodes.
These tiny pests can be transmitted by infected fertilizer or moving water. We concluded that another plant, the nearby Vile de Lyon, did not have “wilt.”
It seems as though troubles usually began after customary May rains.
The ailing plant was in a depressed area where water accumulated. If the bark had an abrasion and nematodes, they would crawl in the opening. After the vine was planted higher and drainage corrected, the wilting stopped.
Fortunately, we had not destroyed the roots since we later discovered that clematis has two crowns. Therefore, if the top one is killed and the second remains intact, the plant will recover if given a chance.
With us, if the top crown is injured, we remove it, raise the remaining roots, and, more often than not, get a new plant.
Minimal Pruning
We never practice drastic pruning except on the deep purple Jackman, which is apt to get out of hand, and the pink Duchess of Albany, which makes abundant new growth in a single season.
With all other varieties, pruning is usually limited to removing dead wood.
It is difficult to select a favorite, but if we were to start all over again, it would doubtless be with Comtesse de Bouchaud. It grows so easily and blooms profusely.
Besides those already mentioned, we would vote for Crimson King, red; The President, bluish-purple; Ramona, lavender-blue; Prins Hendrik, azure-blue; Lord Neville, purple-plum; and the late-blooming but striking Lady Betty Balfour, velvety purple. Any of the large whites are dramatic, but the deep purple Jackman holds top place for sheer wealth of bloom.
HTR-0457 by Francis Coulter