The difference is because Jackmanii is a Type III and Niobe a Type II. Type II's typically get off to a slower start than III's. III's are usually more vigorous in general. Getting lots of flowers the first year isn't typical though of any clematis. They are first year sleep, second year creep and third year leap plants. I would not fertilize in your zone at this time. Cut them both back to the last set of buds in early spring when you cut back roses in your area. Then fertilize them.

Thank you everyone! Nutmeg, pretty much all of the hostas in the pictures, including all of my new ones, came from a few different sellers on eBay. Ghost Spirit came from a lady who sells hostas and daylilies about thirty miles east of me. I have mixed results with her hostas, but most of my eBay hostas are doing really well. Hostabargains is a favorite seller of mine. He pops up on here once in a while as the diggin dutchman. Karen

Honu, Those White habs I sent you were saved from peppers from my garden last October so they should be pretty fresh. I'll let you know how I do germinating them in the next couple of months. I hear they can be a real pain. I got lucky and successfully germinated two last season. Believe me, one plant is more than enough unless you want to be freezing bags of peppers forever. :) Not that it is a bad thing. Chris

Susan, you mentioned you around Denver. I'm in SE Aurora and have had a lot of luck with finding great older machines at some of my local thrift stores. My favorite place for cabinet machines is called Unique at the corner of Buckley and Iliff. On Monday's everything is 25% off and on Holidays everything is 50%. From them I've bought - 2 New Home NHR rotary machines for under $20 on their half-price days (on the first one I've replaced the pulley and it works fine; the other I'm keeping for parts because it had a box full of the attachments and the power cord I was missing from the other). A very pretty Singer in a cabinet, circa 1955 with a box of attachments for $25 for my mother (I still have to get it working and refinish the cabinet) A Viking Husqvarna (from Sweden) portable with the attachments and the manual including the original warranty from 1966 that just needed oil and I've started teaching my daughter to sew on it. It cost $12.50 (on half price day) Today I was at a Goodwill on Parker Road and Belleview. I picked up a New Home Light Running Rotary Model 8F in it's carrying case for $25 - I haven't found any info about it yet though. I can tell it needs oil and I need to reseat the wires in the electrical connection. I don't usually see sewing machines at this Goodwill, but always see them at Unique for a lot less than your budget. If you want to know some other thrift stores on this end of town send me an email through my page (I'm not over here very often, I'm usually lurking in RMG gardening, Cooking or Harvest). Good luck with your search Jen