Bob is correct. As an experiment I didn't prune some of my Type 3's several years ago. They only bloomed way up high and I didn't have as many blooms. Now all of mine go back to 12" to 18" The reason I go back to 12-18" is I leave the old stems attached across the bottom of the trellis on the bottom rung. Then I don't have to retrain them across the bottom at the beginning of the growing season to get a wide spread across the trellis. Katie

Buds as in flower buds?? This is surprisingly early for a type 3 clem to be showing flower buds............Perle is typically listed as a midsummer (July) into fall bloomer. If it is showing buds now, I would just skip the pruning. Pruning is not a requirement but more of a means to tidy up deciduous clematis after winter and keep their size in check. If you really want to, you could prune now and hope for a later, more expected timing bloom cycle but just not sure how it will respond this late. Won't hurt the plant at all - just alter the bloom sequence.

I'm relatively new to gardening, brand new to clematis, and looking for advice on a good one to take advantage of vertical space. I have a 20' wide back patio edged with a 6' tall wood privacy fence. The former owners left 3' wide planting strips along the two parallel long sides of the fence (so one east- and one west-facing). When we moved in there were a few mature Endless Summer Hydrangea in the planting strips; we've since filled in the strips with some additional low perennials in front of the hydrangeas. Still, these hydrangea only grow to at most 3' tall after the heavy flowers flop and so I'd like to take advantage of the vertical space above them. I'm looking for a perennial but understand woody vines can cause issues with the fence, so I think my best bet is to grow a Group 3 clematis on a trellis of wires strung between the fence posts. But I'm at a loss for what clematis (clematises?) would meet my needs. I'm looking for: - 6-9 feet tall at maturity, which I think should allow some horizontal spread without it overtaking the fence and flopping over to my neighbors' side - flowers up and down the vine, or at least flowers starting by 3-4' up - a long flowering season with deadheading/reasonable maintenance - a saturated color (purple?) or a white flower, to contrast with the hydrangeas in front that tend toward pastel colors - will still bloom in partial shade. I almost bought a few Venosa Violacea, but see reports it can grow up to 12', so I worry it'll be too tall or will flower only at the top? I'm in the DC area/zone 7b. A few nearby trees leaf out by early June and so for most of the summer the planting trips are getting 4 hours of full sun, 3 hours of bright dappled shade, and moderate shade from the fence the rest of the day (hence the bloom in partial shade ask). I appreciate any recommendations/tips from more experienced folks!

Everywhere is going to offer different growing conditions and that's going to affect the timing of flowering as well. Here it is almost September and my triternata 'Rubromarginata', 'Sweet Summer Love' and 'My Angel' are showing no signs of flowering yet. Durandii is my only 3 that is currently flowering and it will continue until October without any need to cut back. I will say that up until late July, our summer had been unusually cooler than normal but since then, we have had stretches of very warm - for us - weather with a higher percentage of upper 80's - low 90's than typical. If you have group 3's flowering as early as June, then by all means I would see if you can encourage a rebloom by some moderate pruning. I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to cut back too severely. Wouldn't hurt the vine at all but I'd be afraid of eliminating any rebloom.