Well, Ark, I have your phone number so even if you leave GW, you will still have to deal with me! First two pics are a nuttall oak that was buckrubbed for the second consecutive year and now has hardware cloth (as do the rest of my trees) but the hardware cloth provided no defense for gophers that ate nearly all the roots and left it dangling at 45* angle after our last round of storms this weekend. This tree and the willow oak in the last pic were planted Feb 2011. This nuttall grew about 2.5' even with the buck rub while the willow that was not buckrubbed it's first year grew about 6-8". Go figure... Both the nuttall and the willow oaks were buckrubbed a couple days prior to the pics. I wonder if this damage somehow impacted the intensity of the fall color by disrupting the nutrient flow. Any ideas?

To layer a clem, you bring a stem down to the ground as horizontal as you can. You can make a partial cut into the stem near a leaf node and put some rooting hormone powder on the cut. Then you bury that place about an inch or so and peg it down with a bent paper clip on either side of the cut. If the stem is long enough you can do this several times. The end of the stem should stick out of the ground, or a flowerpot if you prefer.Keep the area moist. The stem stays connected to the mother plant until good roots form where you made the partial cut. Then you can sever the newly rooted plant(s) from the o. This should prevent the drying out of the leaves that happens often when a piece of the stem is cut off to propigate by a cutting. I may take several months for roots to form to a sufficient size. I may not have explained this completely correct, so someone with more knowledge please add to this. Marie in ME

I purchased Dutchess of Albany from Bluestone Perennials in 2012. I plant my Clematis 2-4" deeper than they are in the pot. Dutchess of Albany is a group C pruner, so I cut it back to about 6-12" each winter. It has a dozen new shoots this spring and is just an amazing clematis, with almost leathery petals, very thick. It is definitely worth ordering, and Bluestone has a one year guarantee that they stand by. I have planted daylilies in front of my clematis, but they multiplied so heavily, I had to move them at least 18" away from the Clems. Any small, up to 18" in height perennial and 18" in front of your clematis will shade the roots and hide the root stems. I have also had great luck with SAC, it isn't invasive here, however it does need more room than most clematis. I have ordered two Sweet Summer Love, which is a red/violet sister to SAC. Clematis are so worth the effort they take. I have all of mine (14) on my south fence that faces north, they get afternoon sun and I have ammended my clay soil well with compost, I also add an inch or so of gravel to the bottom of a deep hole I dig, plus well ammended soil in the planting hole, for good drainage. Well drained soil seems to be the key to healthy Clematis. Niobe and Earnest Markham have been some of my best blooming performers. The only one I am having trouble with is Dutchess of Edinburg, only putting up one stem each year. I would not hesitate to order clematis, as in my very rural area, the local nursery only carries the commom varieties that I already have. Debra

AGAIN, this forum is about perennials in ALL gardens. I too have 95º- 100º problems also without rain all summer. Gibson, I have similar problems and I consider summer my winter. I am just now getting early rain. I love my grasses and my natives , Australian, Mediterranean plants. I have a lot of luck with Poliomentha longiflora (mexican oregano), datura, nolinas, dasylirion, aloes, agaves, grasses, artemisia in that situation. If you have water, Plumed poppy does well in that situation BUT you need to have it contained physically or it spreads and could become a garden thug. That northwestern orientation is a tough one. I do vacillate from My Texas garden forum to here. I take my problems of environment to my local people. I usually shut up during the summer on this forum because I am in dormancy since I do not irrigate . Then I get to rub their noses in my plants as these northerners are snowed in.