Someone asked me to check out their Clematis the other day. The neighbor's clematis was thriving across the street, enveloping the mailbox and all it's lavish mason work. The clematis I was looking at was leggy, and struggling. Clematis are unhappy when they dry out, and this probably does more of them in than anything, but there is irrigation on sight, so moisture was not the culprit.
The neighbor had lantana all around the base of the mailbox, and it too looked great. THAT WAS IT! The big difference. You see, clematis vine and flowers love the sun, but the roots need to be cool and shaded. The tag on the plant said "SUN", and didn't really mention the roots preferring shade. So next time you're wanting an awesome clematis climbing something in your garden, remember to plant some thick ground cover and mulch around the roots!
Mark Griffith is a Virginia Certified Horticulturist and a lead designer with Nautilus Garden Designs in Hampton Roads www.nautilusgardendesigns.com
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