I don't either @punkdoc - they don't need any more encouragement to eat new growth An organic medium is far better. Bark is also a good hiding place though, so that's best avoided. A fine grit, or pea gravel, would be ok, but nothing bigger.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
If it's well rotted, the clematis would like that. Not the Es though.
I never put stones around clematis either.
I grew pink Es in a newly planted pink and white rose bed. I mulched the roses and watered them. The Es just grew and were very pretty while they lasted. Then they seeded themselves for the next year. So many germinated I had to thin them out.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Eschscholzia do tend to grow a lot of leafage and go floppy if grown in conditions that are too rich or moist, I’ve found, so that might be a consideration.
No to stones, slate etc., from me too for clematis but yes to both a compost mulch and shading the base with other plants because the latter does help to preserve moisture, for the clem, particularly in a raised bed in full sun. I have a feeling Fairygirl and I have agreed to disagree on the clematis base shading thing before, but we have very different climates 😊
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
I bought 3 Clematis from Thorncroft a couple of weeks ago but didn't read the planting instructions about hardening them off first! Luckily, it's been mild here and I left them in a sheltered space outdoors for about 3 days until I was ready to plant. They seem to have come to no harm and are growing away nicely. I did add some farmyard manure to the planting hole, mixed in with the border soil and added a mulch of manure in a circle just an inch or so away from the stem. I don't use bark as a mulch anymore due to blackbirds throwing it everywhere! No harm in trying to grow your annual with your plant but it prefers poor, well drained soil. This is helpful:
Eschscholzia in my garden grow best in very dry conditions, full sun, hot... the very opposite of Clematis requirements usually.. I like 'Red Chief' for a strong colour..
I don't have a problem with stone chippings around the base.. I don't like slate.. I remove it to feed and mulch then reapply... and I don't use slug pellets, but we all garden differently..
I bought 4 clematis plants from Taylor’s clematis nursery earlier this year and they suggest when planting in large pots to use hardy geraniums as companion plants as they have shallow roots. I’m trying to decide on a low growing hardy geranium to plant with my Koreana Amber which is doing very well and flowering at the moment.
I can't keep the koreanas alive here @CatDouch . The driest site I have is still too wet for them, and the soil is therefore wet and cold over winter, so they just turn up their toes. Even in pots I have to be careful with those little Group 1s, so most of mine are in raised beds with other planting to soak up any excess. Therein lies the problem too - Group 1s like drier conditions than Group 3s, so perhaps I should have used other plants in with the koreanas, and in a pot. I don't fancy spending any more money on them though - the macropetalas and alpinas are fine
Manure is best added to the bottom of the container, not the top. It has a bit more nutrition and water retention than compost, so is best at the base to encourage the roots down.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I followed Taylor’s instructions to the letter with planting them in pots @Fairygirl I put a couple of inches of gravel in the bottom (even used a tape measure to get it right 😂) bought pot feet like they said so excess water runs out, used the right compost mixture and slow release granular feed, so fingers crossed they’ll survive and thrive 🤞
I prefer to mix the grit or gravel through the soil/compost , rather than having a layer at the bottom, but I know many people do as you do. I try to avoid that as it can become a sump in persistently wet weather, which isn't ideal for anything needing good drainage.
Fingers crossed it does well for you
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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An organic medium is far better. Bark is also a good hiding place though, so that's best avoided. A fine grit, or pea gravel, would be ok, but nothing bigger.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I never put stones around clematis either.
I grew pink Es in a newly planted pink and white rose bed. I mulched the roses and watered them. The Es just grew and were very pretty while they lasted. Then they seeded themselves for the next year. So many germinated I had to thin them out.
No to stones, slate etc., from me too for clematis but yes to both a compost mulch and shading the base with other plants because the latter does help to preserve moisture, for the clem, particularly in a raised bed in full sun. I have a feeling Fairygirl and I have agreed to disagree on the clematis base shading thing before, but we have very different climates 😊
Clematis Care Guide Mail Order Quality Climbers - thorncroftclematis.co.uk
I like 'Red Chief' for a strong colour..
I don't have a problem with stone chippings around the base.. I don't like slate.. I remove it to feed and mulch then reapply... and I don't use slug pellets, but we all garden differently..
Even in pots I have to be careful with those little Group 1s, so most of mine are in raised beds with other planting to soak up any excess.
Therein lies the problem too - Group 1s like drier conditions than Group 3s, so perhaps I should have used other plants in with the koreanas, and in a pot. I don't fancy spending any more money on them though - the macropetalas and alpinas are fine
Manure is best added to the bottom of the container, not the top. It has a bit more nutrition and water retention than compost, so is best at the base to encourage the roots down.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Fingers crossed it does well for you
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...