Some say “tomayto” and some say “tomahto”, some say “CLEMatis” and some say “CleMAtis”. I say, who cares! No matter how you pronounce it, Clematis are the absolute queen of all vines and everyone that gardens should find a way to work in as many varieties as possible into their yards. Between the early blooming ‘Armandii’ and the late blooming ‘Sweet Autumn’, there are literally hundreds of varieties that boast anywhere from small 1-inch bell shaped flowers to the grandiose 6-inch across ones that come in all colors of the rainbow. How could anyone resist?
But while these vines can become garden standouts in time, it isn’t always easy to get them established. If you have gardened for awhile, then you have probably heard the adage about Clematis liking their roots in the shade and their tops in the sun. I used to pooh-pooh this idea and plant them all in full sun. I once had a lovely red variety growing on a trellis in the middle of my rose garden, out on the west side of my house where it got all the afternoon sun. The vine would sprout up in the spring, grow rampantly over the trellis, bud up nicely and just as the buds started to show some color it would wilt and die. Drove me absolutely nuts. A few years later I removed the trellis and frankly forgot about the Clematis. Low and behold, in the shade of some newly planted shrubs, that very same Clematis romped 15 feet up, through my weeping Giant Sequoia, and bloomed its silly little head off the entire summer. Two decades later it is still going gang busters. Cold feet, hot heads. Believe it!
Planting time and depth are two other factors that can lead to success or failure. While you generally see Clematis in garden centers when they are blooming, this is not necessarily the best time to plant them. Plants in full bloom don’t appreciate being roughed up and torn out of their containers. In my opinion, right now, just as the leaves are coming out, is the best time - they will hardly skip a beat and be off to the races in no time at all. All of the varieties we carry in the nursery, now and in the future, have great picture tags to let you see the stunning blooms you will eventually get on your chosen clematis.
The other factor with planting is how deep to plant. While I would rarely (if ever!) recommend this technique for other plants, for Clematis, if you plant them one or two inches deeper than they were growing in the pots, they seem to root in better and you lessen the chance of contracting Clematis Wilt - that nasty disease that causes your vine to wilt just about the time it is ready to bloom.
As for pruning, I could easily spend an entire column solely on untangling the mysteries of pruning these amazing vines. For now, and for the sake of simplicity, follow these guidelines: prune the early spring bloomers hard just after they bloom, summer bloomers lightly in the spring, and fall bloomers very hard in early spring just before they start to grow. Fortunately, most new plants will come with pruning directions, but if unsure, always check with a nursery professional for further clarification.
I have found over the years that sometimes it can take a season or two to get Clematis established. Hang in there and don’t give up, even if they look like they are dead as a door nail. If it helps, remember this little ditty: “Hot heads and cold feet, Plant them early and plant them deep.” Stay safe and keep on gardening!
