Thank you for the links, they look great. In answer to Mary - I have mine growing up an arbor and I have bent the canes over the arbor. Are there thorns? Yes indeed and very large. The beauty of the flowers should make up for the thorns which I despise. Mine only gets half day sun and is beautiful. Ginny

Kimcoco, what are the names of the clematis that you have already planted? If they are type IIIs, they get pruned every year sometime during the winter (I do most of my type III cut backs in December-mine are already done for this coming year). Type IIs typically should be cut back the first if not the second year they are in the ground just so that they can get a good root system established. As for fertilizing, normally you do it initially in the early spring once the buds start swelling. How frequently you do it and with what is really up to you. Some people use compost and/or compost tea, alfalfa pellets, grass clippings, tomato and/or rose food, purchased organic or synthetic granular time released fertilizers, soluble fertilizers such as Miracle Grow, etc. As you can see, there is a wide assortment of fertilizers you can use for clematis and if you ask 10 different people what they might use, you could get 10 different answers. As to how frequently to do it is going to depend on which fertilizers you use, how fertile your soil naturally is, and why you might want to fertilize them. I will typically cut my type IIIs and type IIs back by anywhere from 1/3 to 2/3 after their initial bloom period to get another flush later in the season. When I cut them back, I refertilize them with whatever I am using or have on hand. Organic fertilizers tend to be slower release so you don't have to worry as much about over fertilizing when you do fertilize them using this type of fertilizer than if you used a synthetic/dissolvable type of fertilizer which is more immediately available to the plants. Some people go way overboard with fertilization of clematis as far as I am concerned and you have to judge how the plants are performing or aren't to determine how much you need. Needlessly dumping tons of fertilizers on any plant just for the sake of fertilizing is not fruitful and can lead to a lot of green vegetative growth with few blooms. As far as fertilizing when plants are blooming or coming into bud, it can be done provided you use a slower organic type of fertilizer. I have often forgotten, gotten sidetracked, or ignored fertilizing my clematis in early spring only to remember to do so when the plants were budded up or blooming and done so with compost, compost tea, mushroom compost, alfalfa pellets or some other organic fertilizer and not had it affect the bloom cycle. Hope that helps some!

Ciao Nicky- I received my parcel on American Thanksgiving, so that was extra super because Duane was home and got to share in the surprises! You really outdid yourself this year with the care and consideration you gave to the inventory list and the quality of the seeds. This is a smaller swap than some of the others that I participate in, but you managed to fill 11 wishes off of my edibles list! That's VERY impressive! The quality of the flowers was also better than ever before, so thank you very much and consider yourself hugged by me!

1. It would be better for the trees to be kept outdoors, especially while dormant so that you don't risk them leaving dormancy early. Generally, only houseplants should be kept indoors. 2. You can plant it, or transplant it before the ground freezes. If you decide to plant it, I wouldn't go and dig it up again. 3. Since the trees are only 8 inches, you don't need a very large pot at all for them over winter. I would put them into a 1 gallon size pot with a well-draining media. 4. Trees don't require as much moisture while dormant. I would only water them when the media completely dries. 5. Same as 4. 6. If you keep them outdoors, it would probably be best to keep them somewhat sheltered from the extreme temperatures. Snow acts as an insulator, so it wouldn't be the death of them if they were covered by it, although I would keep them under a covered porch or something similar. 7. When you do plant them, now or in the spring, make sure you don't plant them too deeply. You only want to make sure the roots are covered and leave the root flare (part of the tree where the roots meet the main trunk) exposed. Make sure to dig a hole just as deep as the roots go and twice as wide. It's better to plant the trees too shallow than too deep. Apply an area of mulch 1-2 inches deep around the trees, not letting the mulch touch the trunks. Keep the trees well watered during the first few growing seasons when they are in their permanent location.