1. If you can stand it and have some patience, repot your clematis in a next size pot for this year. Clematis need to establish really good root systems and it sometimes takes anywhere from 2-3 years. Growing it in a pot the first year encourages the roots to grow. 2. Clematis likes cool roots, so much it very well. 3. Fertilizer: I've used tomatoe fertilizer (most popular a few years ago), chicken manure (contains more phosphorous than steer manure, and feeds your soil), and the new thing is alfalfa fertilizer. 4. Know your clematis group - there are 3 groups, and you can check them out by googling "clematis groups". I checked and yours is a Group II - repeat bloomers; prune immediately after flowering to the next good node. 5. Support: I have planting mine against my chain link fence; by my deck to which I stapled some fencing for climbing; and by use of trellising. They climb by "twining" so you may have to give them a little help with "stray" stems. I saw some humongous pots of this clematis (with humongous flowers) at Horn's this week. I don't know how much they were - they probably wanted my first born child for them. But they really are gorgeous! Congratulations. It's easy to get hooked on them. I have a few - 'Nelly Moser', 'Dr. Ruppel', Jackmanii (a very good grower even in partial shade), 'Polish Spirit'. I used to have C. tangutica because I wanted a yellow flowering clemmie. It was just too rampant and I pulled it out. However, there are some cultivars of tangutica that aren't probably as rampant as the species. I love some of the "bell-shaped" flowering clems, like Rogoochi. And there are also some beautiful "shrub" clematis as well. The possibilities are endless if you fall in love with these guys. Susan

"Here I am thinking of safety etc. and he never thinks anything bad can happen" Oh Piper101, I deal with this at least once a day in my home. Didn't think anyone else had this little 'problem'. Yes, different how they think, huh? lol MsRose, Personally, I love the big mirror look in bathrooms. Maybe because I've only ever had very small bathrooms with just enough room for the itty-bitty medicine cabinets with mirror doors. Would love your mirror! If it were my mirror and I had removed it by just whacking it (using all the safety procautions possible) and it came off in pieces, I'd repair the drywall (Very simple repair since it would only be a section of wall, not a whole room) and add the nice, decorative mirrors I've been seeing all over the TV and magazines. One sink, one larger mirror. Two sinks, each would get a separate mirror. Both would be nice enough that they would practically be focal points for the bathrm. I would get that done ASAP so that I could get to the creative (read: FUN!) part I love to do and that would be to use the broken mirror pieces to create something ala mosaic. Sooo many mirrored decor pieces out now on more upscale websites I've seen and the prices could choke a horse! From mirrored night tables to lamps. So, if you are asking what to do with the mirror should it not come off in decent pieces, I'd keep the pieces and create something fab-ooo, something unique, something special for my home. Here's an idea I found on the web not too long ago (while looking for ideas to use my Bordello Bunny pieces and shatters that were once two trays).

Ahhh Cori Ann, I share your enthusiasm; the late fall flush is so nice to observe especially after a late summer hammering by CLM! I use a combination of sprays, powders, shovels, guns, and an assortment cloths, lamps and screens (for freezes). - that is - when I can get to it. Some of it works only some of the time so I may just shut the windows and not look until February. BTW: if your Meyers are not pushing new growth of a pretty, dark reddish-tint color (during the main growing sessions), they are not getting enough food.

My problem with Austins that get to be giants is that they don't seem to bloom well. I've tried training them as climbers but it hasn't worked out well so far. I am not sure whether this is just due to lack of resources (poor soil, not enough fertilizing),or whether it's just that the plants simply aren't capable of supporting all that green growth and blooming profusely as well. I plan to experiment with both pruning them back severely and with trying to fertilize more,but I confess that, with all the roses that I have, I find it difficult to coddle specific ones. This is the main reason why I'm not a big fan of Austins in general.