Ah - the midge. She's a little b*gger I'm lucky that they don't really bother me too much.
If it's sheltered enough, you might be ok with the jasmine. They don't like this side of the country, so it's a bit pointless bothering. Better plants to use here, and further north on this side.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I have a jasmine stephanense growing on the same side of the house and while it's getting there slowly, it is getting there. i've had so little luck with clematis here, but i'd be up for trying one more time...
What's been the problem with the clems you've tried @Tanty2 ?
The problem with the Group 3s is that they don't always go where you want them, despite having other plants or wires to cling to @Busy-Lizzie, so that might be trickier if there's planting they might fall over and get in the way of, or if other planting's in the way when trying to prune them back. That was my reasoning for saying they might not be so easy. The Group 2s need very little effort, and they don't often give much of a 2nd flush of flowers up here, so the pruning after the first flush is often pointless too. I've done it several times and it just wasn't worthwhile because our season is later to start with
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Whether in pots or open ground, they seem to take a really, really long time to put on much new growth (three years minimum) and then the growth is weak without much (or any) flowering. It's weird - everything else thrives here! I bought from Thorncroft and from Taylors but the result is almost always the same. To be honest, my luck with climbers (apart from the slow-and-steady Stephanense) has always been rubbish...
I have 4 group 3s planted along a wire mesh fence that goes round our potager. Every single one is aiming for the skies so I have to referee, untangle and train them sideways as it's only 110cm high and they all get a lot bigger than that.
I have 2 more group 3s planted with builders' wire mesh as a support and those too tend to head up rather than across.
I have 2 more with wires stretched across a wall and one of them behaves and t'other just grows vertically if I let it.
Haven't checked my others yet as it's been so flipping cold.
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)."
Which types are you trying to grow @Tanty2? They vary a bit depending on the type. The early, small flowered ones prefer lighter, poorer soil, and the larger flowered ones need decent soil and more moisture, plus food. They benefit from deeper planting too, so that they can produce more stems from below ground, whereas those early ones need the opposite. Maybe your conditions are too dry for the bigger ones?
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks for the insight Fairygirl - moisture here really isn't an issue As an alternative, I just planted a bunch of Ipomoea seeds so if they take, they can be my climber this year in a sunnier site till I work out the rest of it!
I grow those too @Tanty. I collected tons of seed last year, and you've just reminded me that I should sow them soon. I grow them in pots mainly
I wasn't sure if you'd be a bit drier where you are - the east side is still wet enough though. Perhaps you need to beef up the soil a bit more first? If you're planting right next to a wall or something, that can be drier too, or if other plants are taking moisture away from them. I keep most of mine close to fences and walls to help mitigate the rainfall, especially as the clay soil retains moisture so well. It's particularly good when it's those little early ones. I can't grow the koreanas at all though - bridge too far for them.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I'm glad yours are doing well honestly, clematis is the only thing that's really failed here (or i am), and it does grow, eventually, but i'm not sure i have the patience to wait for it to decide to be happy! here's hoping the morning glory sprout...
Posts
I prune my Group 2 clematis to tidy them up.
I'm lucky that they don't really bother me too much.
If it's sheltered enough, you might be ok with the jasmine. They don't like this side of the country, so it's a bit pointless bothering. Better plants to use here, and further north on this side.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The problem with the Group 3s is that they don't always go where you want them, despite having other plants or wires to cling to @Busy-Lizzie, so that might be trickier if there's planting they might fall over and get in the way of, or if other planting's in the way when trying to prune them back. That was my reasoning for saying they might not be so easy.
The Group 2s need very little effort, and they don't often give much of a 2nd flush of flowers up here, so the pruning after the first flush is often pointless too. I've done it several times and it just wasn't worthwhile because our season is later to start with
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I have 2 more group 3s planted with builders' wire mesh as a support and those too tend to head up rather than across.
I have 2 more with wires stretched across a wall and one of them behaves and t'other just grows vertically if I let it.
Haven't checked my others yet as it's been so flipping cold.
The early, small flowered ones prefer lighter, poorer soil, and the larger flowered ones need decent soil and more moisture, plus food. They benefit from deeper planting too, so that they can produce more stems from below ground, whereas those early ones need the opposite.
Maybe your conditions are too dry for the bigger ones?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I wasn't sure if you'd be a bit drier where you are - the east side is still wet enough though. Perhaps you need to beef up the soil a bit more first?
If you're planting right next to a wall or something, that can be drier too, or if other plants are taking moisture away from them.
I keep most of mine close to fences and walls to help mitigate the rainfall, especially as the clay soil retains moisture so well. It's particularly good when it's those little early ones. I can't grow the koreanas at all though - bridge too far for them.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...