Easy-to-grow vine rewards gardeners with gorgeous blooms

Clematis. It’s simple to grow and it’s available in a broad range of colors and sizes. It offers a long period of bloom. What more can a gardener want?

Clematis are also among the least demanding of flowering plants. With careful site selection, some pre-planting soil preparation, and an annual pruning at the appropriate time, clematis will thrive happily in your garden for years.

Choose the best siteWe#146;ve all heard the old gardening adage, #147;Clematis like their heads in the sun, but their feet in the shade.#148; These conditions usually result in the best flower display, but many clematis varieties are tolerant of lower-light conditions.Clematis do prefer to spread their roots through cool, evenly moist but well-drained soil. Give them these conditions by applying a layer of mulch or by planting companion plants that will shade the root mass of the vine.Vigorous varieties can be trained to scramble through shrubs and small trees where they will add brilliant flowers to lush green canopies. In spaces too narrow for shrubs, clematis have excellent potential for screening when grown on free-standing trellises. Try the classic pairing of clematis with roses. Or provide them with an obelisk and clematis will add a statuesque element to the perennial border.Learning how clematis climb will help you select the appropriate support structure. They anchor themselves using the stems of individual leaves. Trellises and arbors should include plenty of pieces no thicker than the diameter of a pencil #8212; small enough to be encircled by these 2-inch stems.If you already have a trellis with bolder construction, attach a panel of chicken wire to give the clematis an easy means of support.Don#146;t limit yourself to a single clematis variety per trellis. Combining varieties can create fabulous visual effects and extend the period of bloom.Create good soilPrepare the soil for your clematis by digging a hole a foot or more deep. Amend the soil with lots of organic matter #8212; well-rotted leaves or mushroom compost #8212; and plant the vine at the level it was growing in the container.Shield your new plant#146;s tender stems from rabbits with a collar of protective chicken wire. If the stems of your clematis are too short to reach their intended target, use a slender stake set at an angle to direct the vines to the trellis you#146;ve provided.Keep clematis bloomingClematis have a variety of bloom patterns. The earliest vines to bloom begin in May on last year#146;s stems. These early bloomers should only be pruned just after they have finished blooming and only dead stems should be removed.Some clematis bloom twice. They first flower on old wood, and then again on new stems. To guarantee that these vines produce the most colorful show, trim them only to tidy up their form.Late-blooming clematis begin to flower at the end of June or early July and may still be flowering when the first frost hits. These types only form buds on new wood so these clematis should be cut back severely to encourage the production of lots of new flowering shoots.Prune late-flowering types in March of April, just as the buds are beginning to swell. Starting at ground level, follow each stem upward to the first strong pair of buds, and make a cut just above them.Fertilize your clematis annually using a balanced fertilizer. Clematis also respond to regular applications of liquid foliar fertilizers. Hold off fertilizing while the plant is blooming, but resume when blooms decline to encourage a second flush.Choose a clematis varietyWhen selecting a clematis, keep the size and strength of your support in mind. Some clematis will grow as tall as 30 feet while others barely reach 3 feet. If you plan to grow the vine through a rose or other shrub, choose a clematis that requires minimal pruning. You will not want to spend your time de-tangling a spent clematis vine from its support#146;s branches. You will also want to consider the color, size and bloom time of the host plant.Clematis flowers range in size from delicate blossoms just an inch or so to bold, impressive blooms. Viticella species clematis are loaded with small to medium-sized blooms over a long period #8212; usually June into September. And while Jackmanii is the intensely purple variety that many of us think of when we hear the word #147;clematis,#148; there are many more large-flowered varieties for your garden. In tones from pastel to bold, you will find a clematis to complement almost any color scheme.For an impressive end-of-the-season clematis display, sweet autumn clematis can#146;t be beat. It not only grows quickly to cover very large supports, its sweet fragrance perfumes the air in September. ŸDiana Stoll is a horticulturist and the retail manager at The Planter#146;s Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield. Call (630) 293-1040 or visit planterspalette.com. 19322576Clematis blooms in large and small sizes and some varieties can make a good show by growing up the branches of a host plant.