Wow you guys have given me such a breadth of beautiful ideas!

@Rosefolly I really appreciate the suggestion to stick with Type C and avoid vigorous clematis--I was planning to put Emilia Plater or Hanna with my Nahema but both are listed as vigorous in the same list as your Polish Spirit that gave such trouble. I think Blue Angel might be the choice.

@Tammy (Southern Ont) Zone 4/5 USDA those are such beautiful pictures! I was initially hesitant to consider the darker purple but it's so pretty with Lavender and pink! Do you know if your Eden roses are the white eden/blushing pierre de ronsard or is that the standard? I love that they're light pink and am really worried that my Edens which haven't flowered yet might be a bit garish with the carmine pink tips. I'll have to try some darker purples with my New Dawn and Awakenings. Have you found the thorniness of New Dawn to be any issue for the clematis?

@Diane Brakefield what a pretty red! I didn't even know clematises came in that color!! Definitely opens up some exciting combination possibilities :)

I envy you all and your clematis! Clematis just never seems to work out for me here so I just end up growing Japanese Morning Glories & Moonvines with the roses lol.

I have been getting into clematis only the last two or three years, though I've had a few for longer than that. They are very exciting, something I really look forward to. I have some challenging spots in my garden, or rather large areas that I think clematis might not like. The soil just gets so dry. I have been watering my clems in hot weather and baby them much more than roses. Once established they might not need me to worry over them, I don't know.

I planted Polish Spirit in a rose bed....I'm thinking it might not overwhelm due to the fast draining soil. I've collected maybe 30 varieties.

Here is Venosa Violacea on a young plant, next to William Morris.

I have a Perle d'Azur plant on either side of an arbor, and the rose Clarence House on one side and Colette on the other. This is a fairly new planting so I don't know what it'll do and I have no pics but the Perle d'Azur is pretty vigorous.

Blue Angel in part shade:

My favorite is Jackmanii because it will bloom on new wood or old, You can prune it to a foot from the ground and it will still bloom after the cutting back.

Where do you all go for them? I've bought a bunch of clematis from Bakery Betty on Etsy, but haven't had any bloom yet. Have also bought some from Monrovia, and while two succumbed to wilt almost immediately they were really good at replacing them.

Aaron, I am tremendously lucky to have a huge local nursery that sells hundreds of clematis, each with its own little lattice and ready to bloom. This nursery also sells hundreds of five gallon roses where I have obtained many of my roses over the years. So don't forget local possibilities. There are some great online sellers who specialize in clematis, too. I think one is called Brushwood (I'll check). Diane

Yes, Brushwood Nursery, specializing in clematis and other vining plants. Diane

Brushwood and Garden Crossing send clematis much larger than other vendors, saving you a couple of years. I’ve ordered a dozen from Brushwood this fall. Many varieties are sold out though.

Brushwood is great, as is Silver Star Vinery. I really like the integrifolia crosses in group three like Durandii and Juuli, but in my experience they don't grow super tall (though I have read on this forum that they can get huge, so your mileage may vary). For example, I put "Inspiration" (an integrifolia cross) in with a large Eden/Pierre de Ronsard rose several years back and realized this summer that the darned thing was too short to make it out of the rose, so it was blooming inside (I'm growing Eden as a very large bush). Now if I had trained my Eden properly I could see the clematis, so take that into consideration. Princess Kate, which I think is a texensis cross, is also group three. I've got one in a pot and it looks great twining through my potted roses. When I have space in the ground I'll definitely be planting it out.

So pretty, @flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA! I appreciate the fair warning about choosing the right clematis!! I have some prince charleses growing by themselves and will be sure to keep it that way :p I love the color combination you did them with though! And the sea breeze is exquisite with the deeper pink--I'd really only thought to do blush pink + periwinkle blue, but I love the color variations you've showcased (as has everyone!).

Flowers your clematis are AMAZING!!!

Wow so many gorgeous combos on this thread.

Diane I was thinking about your clematis just a few days ago and was looking through old threads to find the name. It is such a lovely clematis and I have not seen it much. I absolutely love the rich color and how well it plays with others. I have saved the name this time.

Flowers I absolutely love your combos. I planted several clematises around pine trees this year hoping to imitate you. So far I am not even sure they are alive, so fingers crossed for next year.

I have not had any issues with my clems overwhelming my roses. Here the clematis seem to take a long while to actually do anything. Maybe I have too many bunnies.

Dianela, I'm so happy to see your post. I've been thinking about you, and hope you're doing well, in spite of all the work challenges. Are you getting a bit of a break from work now? I hope so. And thank you for your comment on Rosemoor. Now stay safe and healthy, as I know you will.

Flowers, how wonderful to see your clems again. You are the Clematis Queen, and your plants do you proud. It's impossible to pick a favorite. You are tempting me to try growing a clematis up into a rose, in spite of my crowded conditions. I have some questions for you (I am sorry; I always seem to be asking you questions). First, do your prune your large clematis, and do you have to climb a stepladder to do it? I'd like to try growing a clematis up into Brother Cadfael and Jude the Obscure (both 8+ feet) at the same time. These two roses grow into each other and are very close together. Which of the above clems that you grow would be best for this? I'm thinking Vancouver Seabreeze and Pink Champagne would be good candidates. It's so exciting to be looking forward to something new this spring (if I allow myself out of jail, that is). Thanks for your answers. And I'm nuts about Rosarium Uetersen. What color and lushness it has.

Tammy, what a great start you've made with your clematis. I particularly love the combination of Quicksilver and The President. Quicksilver, with its superb color, is just made to combine with a clematis. Diane

Diane I am glad to be back at being able to look around the threads and post some. I have missed so much and I have missed you all. I finally was able to take and pass my boards after all the crazy scheduling issues this year. I feel very fortunate and blessed to have done that before the baby is here. I am still working full time and hoping to do so until my last day if possible (DH is helping me a lot since I look like a blue whale walking very slowly through the hallways at work). People keep saying they don’t think I am doing to make it to my due date so I must look “very round”. Looking forward to see your posts here and seeing your garden next season.

Here are some of my favorite clematises so far. Like I mentioned before mine have been slow to get going and do not seem to be overwhelming anything yet. I have planted over 50 clems in the past 4 years and very few have done anything special. I am hoping for a bit more vigor. I do have lots of rabbits that seem to like eating them so it may not be their fault.

Perrin’s Pride with Mel’s heritage ( I like the name because one of my favorite characters from the Wheel of time shares the name)

Clematis Sacha with an unknown rose I lost this year.

Blue Angel has been one of my most dependable clems. Here with Pomponella

Here with red cascade on her first year so not very impressive, but better than most on their first year

Holdine is the most vigorous clematis in my collection. She grew 11 feet on her first year and bloomed.

One of these is Rouge Cardinal and the other ones was supposed to be Jackamani but I guess it was mislabeled.

Warsaw Nike is the one clematis I can grow with only 3 hours of morning sun. It gets eaten by the bunnies all the time and it keeps going.

Clem Margot Koster was recommended to me by Lilyfinch and it has been a wonderful easy to grow clematis. Her color is delicate and I think it goes well with almost any color rose.

Arabella is one clematis I couldn’t do without. I grow her all over my garden and she is easy to grow and repeats all summer long.

Your clematis look wonderful, Dianela. Best wishes for a good delivery and happy baby!

@dianela7analabama that's gorgeous! I planted arabella and have been considering blue angel. Can I ask what Rouge Cardinal is growing among? I love the bloom shape! It looks like it could be Earth Angel, Nahema, Heritage, Generous Gardener, lots of possibilities

Sheila Thank you very much! I am excited for this baby, but a bit scared also. I just pray he is healthy and happy.

Thank you Aaron! The light pink rose is indeed Earth Angel. The lighter less full rose on the picture before is Lichfield angel. Both lovely roses. Another view of the area with Lichfield on right, iceberg on front left and earth angel on left back corner.

earth angel is extremely healthy, but slow to rebloom own root. The one I have grafted from palatine reblooms better on her first year than this one her 3rd year.

here she is in full spring flush. She appear to be completely immune to whatever strain of blackspot I have so she is a keeper here.

I have also noticed she does not even loses her leaves here in 7b and is 6 feet tall by the end of the season without pruning. She would probably do very well in your zone 5.

Will add that so far I think my favorites are Perle d'Azur for the color, vigor, and length of bloom time, and Arabella for staying in bloom. I like Princess Diana for its shape and color:

I have bought mine from Silver Star Vinery, Donahue's, Brushwood, Hurt's , Joy Creek I think it was, and Walmart. I have a couple of reservations but will focus instead on the positives about Donahue's. I like their roots. The plants may be small, but the roots are the thick, yellow, sturdy kind. They have taken off quickly when potted up. They also have nice people working in customer service when I got a variety by mistake. Their selection is good and the price.

Huldine

I had one I thought was Nelly Moser for years but now I think it's something else. It has survived and grown wide under my Maggie rose for years with little care.

I had an H.F. Young plant that dwindled away and was fussy, so I concluded I was not good with clems or my conditions weren't favorable. Then I found out about viticellas and texensis types and I am finding that they have more vigor and can thrive here. Another vigorous one is proving to be Negritjanka, a jackmanii type.

I must be in a fog lately. I thought I responded to these posts. I might have and forgot to hit 'submit'. It's happened.

Tina and Aaron, thank you. You made my day.

Diane, you are generous with your titles. I'm just fumbling along and only posting the presentable ones. Your Rosemoor is spectacular and I still haven't found it here. My biggest ones are group 3, so I cut them off about a foot from the ground and just pull everything above that down. I do some in late fall and some early spring. It doesn't seem to matter. The smaller ones are group 2, so I follow each stem up to the first swollen buds in the spring and prune away everything above that.

https://www.hummingbirdfarm.net/clematis_and_shrubs.htm has good advice for growing clematis and roses together, esp. pg.2.

I agree lavender/ blue or pink would be great with Bro.C and Jude. And, as per the link above, it's best to wait until the rose is mature to add the clem. Wish I'd known that earlier! Some to think about: Vancouver Sea Breeze, Pink Champagne, Rooguchi (bell shaped, blooms all season), Samaritan Jo, Blue Boy, Shimmer, These are all shorter group 3, except first two, to make pruning easier since your roses are so big. Lots more options in group 2. I hope you can take yourself on a little nursery spree this spring.

Dianela, it's good to see you posting. I know you've been busy with work and school, studying and writing papers, all while expecting. You should be getting lots of sleep, which I doubt you are. Your clems are just as wonderful as your roses. Since none of yours are overwhelming your roses, I expect you've trained the bunnies to keep them pruned just right. My favorite is your mislabeled Jackmanii. Such a gorgeous pairing. I'm happy to hear good things about Arabella. I planted 2 last year as ground covers in a new bed. Yours look great.

All good wishes for the exciting days ahead for you. Keep us posted!!

Erasmus, I LOVE Princess Diana, and let mine die in the nursery pot. Hope to try again next spring. But, uh oh, I planted an H F Young last year. I probably ought to just toss him first thing in the spring and get it over with. He never looked very healthy. Your 'not Nelly Moser' is exceptionally healthy and so pretty. Let us know who it is, if you find out. I've heard great things about Huldine.

Hi Foggy (Flowers), thanks for your tips on pruning. I guess you don't have to climb up a stepladder with type 3--just cut them off pretty short and pull the rest down. Rosemoor is a puzzle and a mess because it's listed as a type 3 and a type 2, depending on what source you're reading. I got so frustrated last year, I didn't prune it at all, and it bloomed masses of blooms--but way too early, and none of the roses were blooming with it (my last pic). I was very unhappy with the thing. If you want it, Brushwood has it. I wrote down dozens of clem names that I love and Brushwood carries, and now I can't find the list--took an hour at least. I'm way foggier than you. I did make note of Pink Champagne, which I think would be ideal to grow between Bro Cad and Jude. Thanks for your help, and I may need more. Clematis really flummox me. Diane

Diane, Foggy suits me. Clematis are really forgiving, and don't mind a bit if you don't prune them according to the rules. Some of mine get skipped once in a while because I have too many to properly care for. I identified Pink Champagne's alternate name as Asao, but that was wrong info. Her other name is Kakio. I get those two mixed up every time. Most nurseries use the Pink Champagne name, though. Asao is similar, and doesn't have another name. I would correct it in my post above, but Houzz doesn't permit editing after this long.

Whatever you did to Rosemoor, she looks like she's thriving. I'm counting on the Rosarium to get her. Their clematis' are always multi-stemmed and grow well here. I've also found some good ones at my grocery store. If you have Fred Meyers, check for clems there. Mine gets in more than Home Depot and Lowes put together, and varieties you don't see everywhere.

Thanks, Flowers. I've had Rosemoor for years and still don't know what to do with it. Edwards Nursery here in Boise has hundreds of clematis for sale every spring. They are large plants and each comes with its own little lattice. By the time a month or so has passed, lots of them are blooming in the greenhouse. It's a sight to see. I think the woman who heads roses and perennials grows them, as well as many of the peonies they sell. Thanks, again. Diane

erasmus You had trouble with mislabeled with Donahue's? I will have to watch mine I have some that haven't bloomed, or I missed seeing it.

Flowers, I would not give up on H.F. Young. I saw a picture of an arbor covered with two plants of it in one of Beutler's books and it was stupendous. I think they were growing somewhere in the Pacific NW and I think that's where you are so it could be great where you are. Anyway your garden seems very favorable to clems.

I have a new HF Young plant in a pot and am going to get it to a more substantial size before planting in the ground. That is one of the main things I'm thinking might make a difference in my garden...just have bigger root systems before planting.

Alana, Donahue's didn't mislabel it, they just picked up the wrong plant. I had ordered Mrs. Cholmondeley, one I wanted a lot, and Prince Charles was on the table right next to it and was picked up by mistake. I was happy to have a second PC plant and they sent me a Mrs. Cholmondeley.

I bought two tiny little bare root florida seiboldii plants from a mail order place in NJ this spring, Longwood I think it was, and am crossing my fingers for them as they supposedly don't overwinter easily and are very finicky. I have one pot in my house and one pot outside but will bring it in if it gets too cold. They didn't bloom this summer.

Oh ok! I had that happen with one if mine! I ordered my two of those as well ! I hope they do well.

Erasmus, technically, we are in the PNW, but this eastern side of WA state is nothing like the moist, green west side. But, I won't uproot HFYoung if he's showing any signs of life. I love his color. Bravo if you can grow them in pots. If I don't get them in the ground, their chance of survival is slim. I'm nursing a couple along in the garage over winter and keeping my fingers crossed for the poor things.

I’ve really been enjoying this thread. There are many varieties I need to look up now. Most of my clematis grow on structures next to roses to try to keep good airflow and reduce disease but there is nothing like a clematis and rose together.

Here is clematis Crater Lake with Eden

I’m also really enjoying this thread.

Dave, I really like that structure. Do you have more pictures to share? I’m really starting to get addicted to hardscape/yard art. I consider trellises, obelisk, pathways, bird baths etc to fall into that camp

I'm really enjoying this thread as well. The pictures are beautiful. I have many clems and in recent years, have gotten great plants from Silver Star and Brushwood. I have 1 or 2 that I've gotten on sale at Bluestone too. I also stick with the pruning type 3 varieties because it's easier to just cut way back each spring, and also because they're supposedly less wilt prone.

I've had the below clematis for probably 20 years, transplanted and cut way back in 2012. Forgetting the name at the moment, but it's a common one. It's gotten along well with Mel's Heritage. Hoping it will eventually intermingle a little better.

Chris, what a storybook arbor. That one sure looks like HFYoung to me, and I thought it was a class 2, but if it's doing that nicely pruned as a class 3, then I'm going to treat mine as a 3. IF this is HFYoung, and IF mine lives. By pruning 2s as 3s, you can postpone blooming a little, which is great for me because early spring is when we get constant rain so anything blooming can't really be enjoyed. Let us know if you remember the name.

flowersaremusic, thank you and yes, you could be right. It was a clearance plant from one of the box stores years ago and the tag is long gone. The only ones I prune as type 3 are the ones I've purchased in more recent years, where I'm certain of the variety. The ones I have from years back got mixed up in a move so I kind of let them be.

-Chris

Chris, that's the nice thing about clematis. They are forgiving and keep on being beautiful even when we don't always know what we're doing. Speaking for myself, of course! Northland's clems are breathtaking. Some rival house eater roses. Some years they get a real haircut, and some years, none at all, never mind the pruning class they're in.

I LOVE this thread. Thank you everyone that shared such gorgeous photos with us!

Also love this thread, so helpful and such spectacular pictures. My first year growing them, I had no idea what great cut flowers Clematis made. They have an extremely long vase life, just going on and on/ and the smallest of buds does eventually open. Old gardens can apparently learn new tricks. Looking forward to my second year with them in my rose garden. I think some may overpower the rose the live with if their current growth is any indication of future performance. I did not know they grew so strong in Texas. A curse and a blessing like so much else. FUN FUN love to learn.

Thanks All for this thread,

BR

@oursteelers 8B PNW - Thank you! Do you mean more pictures specifically of the pergola or other hardscape items? I think we should start another thread on this because, I agree, I like seeing these in other gardens and would love to get even more ideas of what I can do.

@chris209 (LI, NY Z7a) - Nice pergola and a beautiful MH and clem on it!

Clematis are nearly as addictive as roses. So many beautiful varieties out there. I feel silly admitting it, but it only recently occurred to me that clematis need fertilizer too. I suppose they'd be okay with similar food as roses? I thought I could apply plant/gardentone and osmocote plus around their base when I do the roses?

These are a couple of my other clematis. Sort of contradicting my earlier statement, since these are not type 3 either. All my newer purchases have been type 3 but they're younger and I guess haven't gotten around to taking their pics yet.

Fair Rosamond - growing with Purple Skyliner.

Little Mermaid - Growing with Queen of Sweden

For some reason I don't have a good pic of the 2 blooming together. You can see a bit of it in the margin of this shot.

-Chris

Dave, I think we need a thread dedicated to hardscape in the garden. Mine is all boring now. Hopefully this spring and summer I get some good pictures!

Flowersaremusic, does your clematis automatically climb the trees, are do you have wire/fence at the bottom ?

Alana, I use plastic netting stapled to the trees. I use the whole width of the netting - about 6', I believe. I had enough leftover deer fencing, 10', to use for Hagley Hybrid, which turned out to be a better choice than the thinner gauge since Hagley is a big fella. The netting you can buy at a garden center also comes in a nylon thread type rather than plastic. Either will work, and any gauge is fine.

There is a down side to using this sort of thing. I found a baby chickadee caught in the fine netting, and had trouble getting his little feet untangled.

Thanks flowersaremusic! Poor chickadee:(

Our neighbor's netting that hung over her fruit trees caught hummingbirds and caused a real mess one year. She didn't monitor the netting, so I was forced to do a lot of cutting of her net. I was furious with her. And the darn net blew over onto my rose bushes every year. I know Flowers is more careful, but this neighbor wasn't. Diane

Oh, dear! Having that stuff caught on rose bushes would be a problem. Getting it off the thorns without ruining the blossoms would be tedious. She must have used the nylon netting that is light at a feather and would easily blow around if not attached to something. I've never had any trouble with the plastic type blowing around. We used the big construction staples and staple gun to attach it to the trees. Since the chickadee incident I keep a close watch, and have never seen another bird get caught, but I'm aware they could. They would be less likely to get tangled up in the heavier gauge. I think the nylon type would be a nightmare with their little feet entrapped in it.

You've done it the responsible way, Flowers. The hummingbirds actually got up under this net, and their little friends made a real uproar over this--then I came running. It did damage my roses when I removed that flimsy net. I hate to say it, but this neighbor no longer lives there, and her husband, who still does, doesn't give a hoot about the fruit, and I haven't had any netting problems lately. Our rules in Hidden Springs prohibit fruit trees, but these neighbors are wealthy and entitled. They planted their trees along the property line next to their 9 foot wall. I'll have to continue this story elsewhere--it's pretty interesting. Diane

I am going to see what Nugget hops does growing through/next to my Eden roses--hopefully it doesn't choke them off! I know it's a vigorous vine, but I think it'd be super pretty. I could also just have it grow on the gazebo itself. We'll see!

Are Nugget hops different from regular hops which I've grown for years? Diane

Apparently they're more bitter than other varieties. They're also just the only variety I found at the store :p Those are gorgeous, Diane! I would expect nothing less :D

Well, thanks, Aaron. But hopes are extremely vigorous and would like to achieve World Domination. The above hops grow up to the point where my name is posted. There is a balcony there and the cables they grow on stop. They would really like to cover the roof. Diane