Thanks both 😊 I thought it was established Fairygirl! I’ll try adding compost - shall I cover the new shoots lightly with it, do you reckon? I shall take out a hardy geranium that is at its base, too. I had put it there to give it its feet in the shade, but maybe it was just stopping water from getting to the base. It’s against a wooden fence and its feet are definitely always in the shade, with the rest above being south facing...but I think the salvias May have created enough of a canopy in front, to block rainwater from reaching the base. However, I was watering it every day when the weather was very hot, but maybe not for long enough...? Where else could I resite it, if this is not a good place?
If there are new shoots coming through, and you keep it watered well enough through the summer, it should be ok. Just add some compost around the base, and do that regularly, which will help to improve the general conditions. A good application of it in autumn , when other plants are dormant, will help. It can take clems several years to fully establish and thrive. I wouldn't worry too much about it if it has enough food and water through this year, it should be ok. The other planting will always be competition, so you just have to factor that in. It's probably been on the dry side while the buds were forming, and it couldn't cope well enough to open them properly. The shading at the base thing is a bit of a myth. Most of them need a cool, damp enough, root run. Some don't need damp conditions at all, as they like a drier site, but they all need to be well enough watered until they get going, so that roots can access moisture well down in the ground, and can cope with dry spells more easily
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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I thought it was established Fairygirl!
I’ll try adding compost - shall I cover the new shoots lightly with it, do you reckon?
I shall take out a hardy geranium that is at its base, too. I had put it there to give it its feet in the shade, but maybe it was just stopping water from getting to the base.
It’s against a wooden fence and its feet are definitely always in the shade, with the rest above being south facing...but I think the salvias May have created enough of a canopy in front, to block rainwater from reaching the base.
However, I was watering it every day when the weather was very hot, but maybe not for long enough...?
Where else could I resite it, if this is not a good place?
It can take clems several years to fully establish and thrive. I wouldn't worry too much about it if it has enough food and water through this year, it should be ok. The other planting will always be competition, so you just have to factor that in. It's probably been on the dry side while the buds were forming, and it couldn't cope well enough to open them properly.
The shading at the base thing is a bit of a myth. Most of them need a cool, damp enough, root run. Some don't need damp conditions at all, as they like a drier site, but they all need to be well enough watered until they get going, so that roots can access moisture well down in the ground, and can cope with dry spells more easily
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
http://www.clematisinternational.com/growing.html
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...