There is a woman who gardened on Ferry Rd. in Charlotte who had the most spectacular Clematis ‘Jackmanii.’ Every summer, traffic slowed by her house as people marveled at the beauty of such a mass of purple flowers. They would drive on, lamenting that their own clematis never had, and never would, look that good. Not necessarily true! Try these culture tips and then come brag to us about your success.

Choosing a plant. Look for plants with at least one healthy sprout beginning to shoot up. Most plants available are two years old. Horsford’s carries these as well as some more mature ones.

Choosing a site. When choosing a site keep in mind that the vines have quite opposite needs than the roots. Clematis vines require at least four hours of sunlight to flower. They need a strong support to grow up. Clematis do not have tendrils or aerial rootlets like other vines. They twine at the union of leaf stem and vine so they need something quite thin to grab onto. To get the vine started, tie it onto the support. Clematis will be content to climb a shrub or small tree. An autumn-blooming clematis at the Nursery, C. paniculata, climbs a cedar hedge, clothing it in white blooms in August.

Clematis roots like cool, moist soil out of direct sun. This is easy to accomplish. Plant your vine on the north side of a stone wall or an old stump. It will reach for the sunlight. Alternatively, plant medium-sized bushy perennials, low shubbery, or lush ground covers near the base to shade the roots.

Planting the clematis. Clematis need rich, fertile soil. Remember: happy roots produce beautiful vines. Begin by digging a hole at least one sq. foot in volume. Make a mix of rich topsoil and compost. Position the plant so its crown is at least one inch below ground level. Backfill with the soil/compost mix. Keep well watered. Since clematis are heavy feeders, give them lots of compost and fertilize monthly with an all-purpose plant food. You should topdress your clematis vine with compost each spring.

Basic care. There is not much you need to know here. Besides water and fertilizer, you need to prune the vine. The rules are simple. If the vine blooms in spring it blooms on old wood. Prune it immediately after it blooms. This gives new growth time to set flower heads for the next year. If the vine blooms in June on old wood and again in September on new wood it should be carefully pruned in early spring. You are looking to take out only dead wood. Be careful — in spring it all looks like dead wood! C. ‘Henryi’ falls into this category.

Finally, clematis that bloom in summer in Vermont, like C. ‘Jackmanii,’ do so on new wood. Prune in early spring to about 12–18 inches above the ground. This will encourage new growth and prevent the blooms from forming only at the very ends of the vine. All the clematis sold at the nursery should be listed in our 2002 catalogue. Every effort was made to specify pruning times.

Now all you have to do is choose a color, bloom time and flower size. In a few years it will be your spectacular clematis vine stopping traffic.