With this unusually warm weather mine look like yours also but have many buds with leaves coming through already. Yours are normal as far as I can see.
'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.
Here's one of mine today... it's a similar variety to Amber which I lost to snails.. this does not exactly enhance the winter scene but there's green underneath those stems...
About 8 years or so.... I prune it to keep in check... I must admit I've never seen it quite so 'dead' looking as this year... but as I say there's green under the bark but it doesn't look good...
One of my New Year resolutions is to feed and water my clematis this year. I'm ashamed to say l never feed them, and only remember to water them in really hot spells. This year will be different !
Unless they're evergreen and/or winter flowering, clematis all look like a bunch of dead twigs in winter. be patient, take the opportunity to give them decent climbing supports - trellis, stretched wires, another plant - and cut out those nasty bits of elastic tying them to the cane.
Give them a good mulch of well-rotted garden compost and/or manure and, when the buds do start to open in spring, give them a good handful each of slow release fertiliser for clematis, roses or tomatoes. Prune according to their pruning group. If you don't know what that is, look them up on here - http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemlistsearch.cfm
Make sure they don't go thirsty in hot spells.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Some white stuff on the cane. Looks like elastic that comes with new clems but OK if it's twine and the stems have room to expand. Wires are fine but needed at 12"/30cm intervals up a fence or wall so the clematis stems can find their way.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
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'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw'
Spring photo of same plant..
Give them a good mulch of well-rotted garden compost and/or manure and, when the buds do start to open in spring, give them a good handful each of slow release fertiliser for clematis, roses or tomatoes. Prune according to their pruning group. If you don't know what that is, look them up on here - http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemlistsearch.cfm
Make sure they don't go thirsty in hot spells.
Supports - I am restricted by budget but was planning to put more wire in. There is wire there, just doesn’t show up in the photo.
What “Nasty elastic”?? I only ever use twine, that’s what you’re seeing in the pics!
Wires are closer together than that so I guess I’m doing fine there!
Clearly you know your stuff Obelix, I’ll remember that