Hi mzstitch, I posted a link to what I think, is a very good website. I started growing clematis 3 years ago, and I followed this advice, and my clems have done very well. I also have clay/alkaline soil, so I dug all of my holes 12-18 inches deep, and about 12" wide. I added a few inches of gravel to the bottom of the hole, and then the amendments suggested at the link on how to plant at a fence. I also put a piece of 2" pvc pipe with many holes drilled in it, the same length of the hole, so that I could get plenty of water to the roots, and I planted my clems about 4-6" deep. You probably have more rain than I do, so this may not be a concern for you. Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: Home of Clematis

It helps to keep the pruning groups the same, group 3 with group 3, group 2 with group 2. Otherwise it can be very hard not to cut into ones that bloom early on old wood when you cut back the group 3s in early spring. I especially like to combine large flowered group 3s with small flowered viticellas (also group 3), as in Bellarosa's pretty picture. That way you can get both color and size contrasts. I find it harder to get bloom times spread out, since things seem to get squeezed together a bit in zone 5. I usually use group 2s for the earlier bloom, but try to pick those that can be treated as a group 3, such as Allanah, which will bloom on old wood and then new wood. Ernest Markham, which Chalk Hill lists as 3 & other catalogs as 2, gives me a good flush in spring and some later blooms too. It is also my earliest bloomer, but since I do not grow many group 2s so there are probably lots of others that are early that you could choose. Don't forget also that you can grow clematis wonderfully well with roses and other shrubs. Comtesse de B, the pale pink one in Bellarosa's picture, looks good on Purple Sand Cherry, Viticellas Betty Corning and Madame Julia Correvan look great climbing up a Mock Orange or Lilac shrub, and extends their short season much later into the year. Sand Cherry and Comtesse Etoile Violette & New Dawn Rose Madame Julia Correvon (1st year) falling out of Mock Orange, if you look close you can see a few pale violet bells of Betty Corning at the bottom, she's all over the part of the shrub you can't see! BC is a really fast grower.

2 things - depending on how tiny they are you may want to pot them in a larger pot for a season. I did a search on this subject and found many passionate arguments on both sides (pot vs ground). The main issue is that it gives the tiny plants a season of protection inwhich to work on thier root system before being put in the ground. Use the search engine here and see all this helpful info. On the other hand, again I learned this from searching info about newly planted Clematis . Everyone says you should keep them pruned quite short for the first 2 seasons to force the plant to grow roots rather than stems so I think you just gave this one its first prune. I am sure that whether you plant it in a pot or in the ground as long as you take good care of it , good light and water, you will see new shoots coming from the leaf juncture before you know it.

It can certainly be done......I have an entire garden area under a 60 y.o. lilac tree that I've been adding to over the years (initially this area was just lawn). I have two macropetalas growing up into mine, as I wanted the early season color before the lilac really leafs out well and blooms. Kim, I'm not sure you need to be restricted to type 2's. For one, the bloom seasons will coincide to some extent so you may loose impact from either flower source. An earlier (type 1) or later (type 3) vine could provide extended interest. And I'm not sure I'd be overly concerned about pruning - of the vines I allow to ramble freely through larger shrubs like lilacs or small trees, I tend not to prune very regularly but only when they become too large or messy. As to specific cultivar, I might lean towards a Jackmanii for length and profusion of the bloom season, intensity of color (and contrast with the wimpy lilac color), and the toughness/durability of the vine.