Jackmanii is vigorous, Polish Spirit is very vigorous, there are very large and vigorous clematis in all the types. You really need to research a clematis and it's ultimate size and growth habit before planting it with a rose. They are wonderful companions if you have the right clematis with the right rose. Clematis on the Web has information and photo's of most clematis and is a good resource. It's not just a matter of choosing a color, it is a matter of finding a clematis with the color you want that also plays nice with the rose. Sue grows a ton of clematis and knows/grows them well. I have Niobe planted with Sombreuil and it is well mannered :-). You might also ask about particular clematis at the clematis forum on GW. Very smart people over there too. Here is a link that might be useful: Clematis on the Web

Dear lola-lemon, diane_nj and jaxondel! Thank you so much for your feedback and help! I appreciate it so much! LOLA: Thank you for the compliment about my Pergola :-) I too see lots of potential in it :-) and am eager to put it to good use! Thank you for recommending helpmefind.com this is a really cool website and I found such beautiful flowers on it! "pierre de ronsard" sounds so pretty already! It still is one of my top favourites! Now I am trying to find out if there is a way I would be able to maybe bring the roses indoor over the winter...at least the first few... I don't know yet. Maybe if I lean trellises up the sides leading to the pergola roof and then take the containers with trellis and roses indoor. For the Clematis I am lucky because I have another additional roof from which I can see the top of the pergola so it might even ass some extra beauty to have Clematis bloom on the top? I have, and am still considering wisteria, thank you! I have just read so many things of them being such an "aggressive" grower and it made me a little shy away from them! I do love the amethyst one and have read that I could grow these in containers! I wouldn't want to do any harm to a plant so if growing roses which I fell SO IN LOVE WITH would be too risky, Wisteria definitely would be my go to choice! With some lavender close by in other containers :-) DIANE: thank you so much for the great resource! I have been browsing the Manhattan Rose Society and am thrilled!! I heard of covering the containers and bottom of the roses with blankets and such over the winter, do you think that would be sufficient? For the size of containers I could have any size built I would need! I will get in touch with people at the society certainly someone will know! JAXONDEL: That's a thought I didn't even consider until now! Thank you for making me aware! the picture shows the view on to the top of the Pergola from the higher roof level:

I've been doing it, too. I don't plant them in the same hole, but plant the clematis out along the branches of the rose. I, too, like purple clematis with yellow roses, and I'm trying to get two red Niobe clematis to grow with my white Lady Banks but they're a little slow coming along. Just recently I planted a dark montana clematis, I think it is Freda, beside my Veilchenblau rose, and the clematis is blooming beautifully now and the rose is in bud, so I think this will be a nice combination. I've also got a lighter pink montana clematis on an arbor with a yellow lady banks rose and that looks really good right now - both are in full bloom. I am a new fan of montana clematis with their smaller flowers and think they will go really well with roses because they won't outshow them. A lot of the larger-flowered clematis are just really too showy when the rose is in bloom, although they're nice with once-blooming roses because they fill the shrub in with color after the rose has bloomed.

Hallo - Your roses are gorgeous. I'm sure I would want Westerland or perhaps one a little darker orange planted with a deep purple clematis. I would prefer if neither one faded, if that's possible. Thanks for your help. I just don' want it washed out against my 'white' fence. Altorama - do you have a pic of your Westerland too? I wasn't really planning on any particular clematis, just thinking on a deep purple clematis, that someone on the forum might recommend? Please don't tell me to paint the fence....LOL