I've had a hard time growing a clematis really close to the tree if it is an old one. I finally moved my Abundance to a site that has no competition and no shade and it does wonderfully. We have cut down 3 large Silver Maples as they were about 40 years old and had scale. They were just too hard to get rid of when the spray can't reach the tops of the trees. Plus I didn't plant them and their root system was over taking our neighbor's yard space and my mine. I do miss the shade of one of them, but not everything else that goes with growing them. Two of them were next to our irrigation pond, not sure if the first owners planted them or the ditch via seed from the Boise River.

When I first get a small clem (Fireworks was a Roseville in 4"pot from a box store , 06), I repot in a gallon pot with compost (or leaf mold, whichever pile is easier to get at), dried cow manure, with a bit of bone meal, blood meal (if I have it), time release general purpose flower fertilizer, a little soil from a plant I have repotted or planted from my favorite nursery (coarser, more gritty). I put in the plant as sidewise as I can get it, deeper than 4" if there is room, (for protection in cold Winters), and cover to the rim with the best soil I have. (Sometimes this gets done by increments if the plant is very short.) Then I plant pot & all & mulch with bagged stuff in the Fall (l got a good deal last year on black died wood chips). When I see new growth starting in the Spring (most tops of newer plants have been Winter-killed here), I take off the mulch to save for the coming year, and when the new stems are about 4" tall I put about a handfull of Rosetone on the surface, not touching the stems with it. Wanted to add a scoop of dried manure too, but didn't have the time. Fireworks is flowering now at about 4ft, and I plan to cut it back a little when the flowers stop, trim it back some, and remove the pot, planting directly into the ground, using the same mixture as for potting. It's another crappy day here again, so I can take the time to get long-winded. But the rain is needed, Would prefer to be outside and repotting 3 atragenes and twistieing vines that are getting higher than the last tie or self-grab. Almost forgot --after the replanting (or potting up if roots still not big enough) I use a liquid rose or tomato fertilizer mixture, about every 2-4 weeks until the end of August. Marie

I hard pruned my Hayley Hybrid,Madame Baron V and VV very early this spring, around early March and they are all doing spectacular. As for Bonanza, I transplanted this one from out in front of my house to where she is now with HH and Mad. V. B. and she's doing a lot better but nothing like the other two. I've tried doing both, pruning in the fall and in the spring, depending on clem. and I've had good luck with both ways, so it's really hard for me to say. I believe it also depends on the area where they are planted, also zone, sun/shade, water amount, soil, etc. etc. A couple of my neighbors fertilize their clematis' but I never do and get good results. I know this spring I amended the soil in one of my perennial beds with loads of coffee grinds and shrimp and blueberry compost from the coast of Maine, and the plants are growing like crazy!

The following is a list of plants suitable for a Moon Garden and was provided by Clare_CA in June 2004. Plants for a Moon Garden Most of these plants have fragrant flowers or fragrant foliage, but some of them are not fragrant but were added for their beauty at night. Abronia fragrans, sand verbena Acacia Farnesiana, Perfume Acacia Acacia Floribunda, Profuse Flowering Acacia Aglaia odorata (Chinese perfume plant, chinese rice flower, Mock Lemon, Family: Meliaceae) Alcea rugosa, Yellow Hollyhock Allamanda Cathartica (Golden Trumpet, Family: Apocynaceae) Allamanda Williamsii (Golden trumpet vine, Family: Apocynaceae) Anemone x hybrida 'Whirlybirds', Japanese anemone Angelonia goyazensis (Angel Mist, Summer Snapdragon, Angel Flower, Family: Scrophulariaceae) Araujia sericofera, Physianthus albens (Bladder flower, Family: Asclepiadaceae) Artabotrys Hexapetalus, A. odoratissimus, A. uncinatus (Ylang Ylang vine, Bhandari vine, Climbing lang-lang, Tail grape, ilang-ilang, Family: Annonaceae) Artemisia, Artemisia schmidtiana, wormwood Beaumontia grandiflora (Easter Lily Vine, Heralds Trumpet, Nepal Trumpet Flower, Family: Apocynaceae) Bouvardia longiflora Brugmansia, (Angels Trumpet, Family: Solanaceae) Brunfelsia americana (Lady of the night, Family: Solanaceae) Brunfelsia australis (Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow, Family: Solanaceae) Brunfelsia floribunda (Morning, Noon and Night, Family: Solanaceae) Brunfelsia gigantea (Lady of the Night, Family: Solanaceae) Brunfelsia grandiflora (Yesterday -Today -Tomorrow, Kiss-me-quick, Royal Purple Brunfelsia, Family: Solanaceae) Brunfelsia jamaicensis (Lady of the Night, Family: Solanaceae) Brunfelsia lactea (Lady of the night, Family: Solanaceae) Brunfelsia manaca (Manaca, Family: Solanaceae) Brunfelsia nitida (, Family: Solanaceae (Nightshade)) Brunfelsia Pilosa (Manaca root, Family: Solanaceae (Nightshade)) Buddleia asiatica Buddleia davidii, Butterfly Bush Calonyction aculeatum, Ipomoea alba (Giant moonflower, Family: Convolvulaceae) Calycanthus Floridus, Sweet Shade Cananga odorata (Ylang Ylang, Perfume Tree, Chanel #5 Tree, ilang-ilang, Family: Annonaceae) Cananga odorata var. Fruticosa (Dwarf Ylang-Ylang, Family: Annonaceae) Carex muskingumensis 'Ice Fountains', Palm sedge Carissa carandas (Karanda, Family: Apocynaceae) Carissa macrocarpa, C. grandiflora (Natal Plum, Family: Apocynaceae) Cassia Didymobotrya, C. Siamea (Popcorn Cassia, Peanut Butter Senna, Family: Fabaceae) Cassia odorata, Senna odorata (Southern cassia, Family: Caesalpiniaceae / Fabaceae) Cerbera odollam, C.dilatata (Chiute, Chatthankai, Grey Milkwood, Family: Apocynaceae) Cestrum nocturnum (Night blooming jasmine, Queen of the Night, Night Jessamine, Lady of the Night, Family: Solanaceae) Cheiranthus allionii, Wallflower Chonemorpha fragrans (Frangipani vine, Family: Apocynaceae) Chonemorpha penangensis (Chonemorpha, Family:Apocynaceae) Citrus flowers Clerodendrum bungei (Cashmere (Cashmir) bouquet, Glory Bower, Family: Verbenaceae) Clerodendrum minahasse (Fountain Clerodendrum, Clerodendron, Tube flower, Family: Verbenaceae) Clerodendrum philippinum Schau, C. fragrans pleniflorum, c. chinense (Chinese Glory Bower, Cashmere bouqet, Scent Malli, False Pikake, Glory Tree, Family: Verbenaceae) Clerodendrum trichotomum, C. trichotonum (Harlequin Glory, Family: Verbenaceae) Clusia lanceolata (Copey, Balsam Apple, Pitch Apple, Cerra cipapao apple, Family: Guttiferae (Clusiaceae)) Coccoloba Uvilfera, Sea Grapes Coffea arabica, C. robusta (Coffee, Family: Rubiaceae) Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' Cosmos bipinnatus 'Daydream' Costus speciosa Alba (White Costus, Family: ) Datura inoxia Datura metel Datura metel 'Cornucopea' (Purple Horn-of-Plenty, Jimpson Weed, Devils Weed, Family: Solanaceae) Datura wrightii Dianthus Barbatus, Sweet William Dianthus Caryophyllus, Snow White Carnation Dichondra "Silver Falls" Dombeya wallichii (Dombea, Tropical Hydrangea, Family: Sterculiaceae) Echinacea "White Swan" Epiphyllum Oxypetalum, Night Blooming Cereus Eremurus x Ruiter's hybrids (foxtail lily) Eugenia uniflora, E. michelii (Surinam Cherry, Pitanga, Brazilian Cherry, Family: Myrtaceae) Euphorbia marginata, Snow-on-the-mountain Fagraea Berteriana (Perfume Flower Tree, Pua Keni Keni, Family: Loganiaceae/Gentianaceae) Freesia Galium Odoratum, Sweet Woodruff Gardenia Augusta (Bush Gardenia, Family: Rubiaceae) Gardenia brighamii (Native Hawaiian Gardenia Nau, Family: Rubiaceae) Gardenia Four Seasons (Gardenia Four Seasons, Family: Rubiaceae) Gardenia Jasminoides (Cape jasmine, Family: Rubiaceae) Gardenia jasminoides 'White Gem' (White Gem, Family: Rubiaceae) Gardenia Radicans (Dwarf Gardenia Radicans, Family: Rubiaceae) Gardenia taitensis Star of Tahiti (Tahiti Gardenia, Family: Rubiaceae) Gardenia taitensis Tiare Tahiti (Tahiti Gardenia, Family: Rubiaceae) Gardenia thunbergium (white gardenia, forest gardenia, wild gardenia, Family: Rubiaceae) Gardenia Tubifera Kula (Golden Gardenia, Family: Rubiaceae) Gardenia Vietnamensis (Vietnamese Gardenia, Family: Rubiaceae) Gauras (G.coccinea, G. lindheimeri, G. parviflora) Gelsemium sempervirens (Yellow jessamine, Carolina Jasmine, Yellow jessamine, Trumpet Flower, Family: Loganiaceae) Genista, Sweet Broom Hedychium coronarium, White Ginger, Garland Lily, Butterfly Ginger (Family: Zingiberaceae) Heliotropium arborescens Alba, white Heliotrope Heliotropium Peruviana, H. arborescens (Turnsole, Cherry Pie, Family: Boraginaceae) Hemerocallis citrina, night-blooming daylily Hesperaloe nocturna, night yucca Hesperis matronalis, Dame's Rocket, Dame's Violet, Mother of the Evening, Sweet Rocket Hesperis Tristis, Night-scented Stock Hosta plantaginea, August Lily, Fragrant Hosta, Liliaceae Lily (Family: Liliaceae) Hymenosporum flavum, Sweetshade Tree Ipomoea alba, Moonflower vine Itea virginica Sprich (Virginia Sweetspire, Little Henry, Family: Grossulariaceae) Ixora fragrans (Fragrant Ixora, Family: Rubiaceae) Ixora sp. (Jungle flame, Needle flower, Family: Rubiaceae) Jasminum Jasminum angulare (South African Jasmine, Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum azoricum, Jasminum trifoliatum Moench, J. bahiense, J. blandum, J. fluminense, J hildebrandtii, J. holstii (River Jasmine, Scrambling Vine, J. De Trapo, Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum dichotomum (Gold Coast Jasmine, Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum humile, J. grandiflorum (Italian Jasmine, Family: Oleaceae.) Jasminum mesnyi, J. primulinum (Japanese Jasmine, Primrose J., Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum Molle (Jasminum Molle, Indian Jui, Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum nitidum, J. magnificum, J. illicifolium (Star Jasmine, Angelwing J., Shining J., Windmill J., Royal J., Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum nudiflorum (Winter jasmine, Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum officinale grandiflorum, J. viminale, J. vulgatum, J. Affine (True jasmine, Common jasmine, French Perfume Jasmine, Poet's jasmine, Catalonian J., Spanish J., Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum parkeri (Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum polyanthum, J. blinii, J. delafieldii (Pink jasmine, Winter Jasmine, Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum pubescens , J. multiflorum, J. gracillimum (Downy Jasmine, Angel Hair Jasmine, Star Jasmine, Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum sambac, J. fragrans, J. undulatum, Mogori Sambac, Mogori undulata, Nyctanthes sambac (Arabian Jasmine, J. Grand Duke Of Tuscany, Butt Mograw, Belle of India, Maid of Orleans, Hawaiian Pikake, Sampaguitas, Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum stephanense (Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum tortuosum (African Jasmine, Perfume jasmine, Family: Oleaceae) Jasminum volubile, J. simplicifolium (Wax Jasmine, Family: ) Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote', lavender Lobularia maritima 'Pastel Carpet', sweet alyssum Lonicera heckrottii (Honeysuckle, Family: Caprifoliaceae) Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle, Halls honeysuckle, Family: Caprifoliaceae) Magnolia (Family: Magnoliaceae) Mandevilla boliviensis, M. sanderi (Mandevilla Summer Snow, Family: Apocynaceae) Mandevilla Pink Parfeit (Hybrid Mandevilla, Family: Apocynaceae) Manglietia insignis, Red Lotus Tree Matthiola bicornis. Night-scented Stock Matthiola longipetala, Evening-scented stock Melia azedarach (Chinaberry Tree, Indian Lilac, Pride of India, White Cedar, Family: Meliaceae) Michelia champaca (Joy perfume tree, Family: Magnoliaceae) Michelia chapensis Michelia coco, M. Pumila Michelia Figo (Banana Magnolia, Family: Magnoliaceae) Michelia x alba, Magnolia Alba (White champak, Pak-lan, Family: Magnoliaceae) Mirabilis jalapa (Four o'clocks, Family: Nyctaginaceae) Mitriostigma axillare, Gardenia citriodora (African Gardenia, Family: Rubiaceae) Montanoa grandiflora (Tree Daisy, Family: Asteraceae) Murraya exotica Mini (Miniature Orange jasmine, Family: Rutaceae) Murraya paniculata (Orange Jasmine, O. Jessamine, Mock Orange, Lakeview jasmine, Family: Rutaceae) Myrtus, True Myrtle Narcissus Nicotiana alata, Jasmine Tobacco, flowering tobacco Nicotiana sylvestris, Woodland Tobacco Nicotiana x sanderae, Flowering Tobacco Nottingham Catchfly, Night-flowering Catchfly, and White Campion Ochna serrulata, O. multiflora, O. atropurpurea, O.thomasiana (Mickey Mouse Plant, Bird's Eye Bush, small-leaved plane, carnival bush,, Family: Ochnaceae) Oenothera biennis, Evening Primrose Osmanthus fragrans, Olea fragrans, Olea ovalis, Osmanthus longibracteatus, Osmanthus macrocarpus (Tea olive, fragrant olive, sweet olive, kinmokusei in Japan, Family: Oleaceae) Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Gulftide', Holly Osmanthus Passifloras, Passion flowers (P. Belotii, P. Incense, P. Alata "Ruby Glow.") Petunia 'Tidal Wave Silver' Philadelphus, Mock Orange Phlox paniculata, white varieties Plumeria sp., Frangipani, Temple tree (Family: Apocynaceae) Plumeria stenophylla, Frangipani (Family: Apocynaceae) Polianthes tuberosa, Tuberose Pterospermum acerifolium, Dinnerplate tree Quisqualis Indica, Rangoon Creeper, Burma creeper, Chinese honeysuckle, (Family: Combretaceae) Randia formosa, Mussaenda formosa Jacq., Randia mussaenda, Blackberry jam fruit, Jasmin de rosa (Family: Rubiaceae Madder family) Ruellia noctiflora, Night-blooming ruellia, Night-blooming wild petunia Salvia argentea, Silver sage Saponaria officinalis, Soapwart, Bouncing Bet, Fuller's-herb, Lady's-washbowl, Latherwort, Old-maid's-pink Saraca indica, S. asoca, Jonesia asoca (Ashoka Tree, Jonesia Asoka, Gandhapushpa, Sorrowless tree, Family: Caesalpiniaceae) Scabiosa Selenicerus grandiflora, Queen of the Night Senecio cineraria, Dusty Miller Solandra maxima, S. hartwegii, S. selerae, S. grandiflora (Butter Cup, Gold Cup, Chalice Vine, Cup-of-Gold, Trumpet Plant, Family: Solanaceae) Stemmadenia galeottiana (litoralis) (Lechoso, Milky Way tree, Family: Apocynaceae) Stephanotis floribunda (Bridal Bouquet, Family: Asclepiadaceae) Strophanthus Gratus, Climbing oleander, Cream Fruit, Rose allamanda (Family: Apocynaceae) Strophanthus preussii, Poison arrow vine (Family: Apocynaceae) Sweet Autumn Clematis, Clematis terniflora (Family: Ranunculaceae) Syringa vulgaris, lilacs Tabernaemontana Divaricata cv Flore Pleno (Crape Jasmine, Carnation of India, East Indian rosebay, Adam's apple, Nero's crown, coffee rose,, Family: Apocynaceae) Tabernaemontana holstii, Gardenia Nitida, Samoan Gardenia, Samoan name: pua (Family: Apocynaceae) Telosoma cordata, Pakalana vine (Family: Asclepiadaceae) Trachelospermum asiaticum, Asian Jasmine, Yellow star jasmine (Family: Apocynaceae) Trachelospermum Jasminoides, Confederate Jasmine, Star Jasmine (Family: Apocynaceae) Vigna caracalla, Corkscrew flower (Family: Fabaceae) Wisteria floribunda, Japanes Wisteria Wisteria sinensis, Chinese Wisteria Wrightia religiosa, Sacred Buddhist, Wondrous Wrightia (Family: Apocynaceae) Wrightia tinctoria, Snowflake, Milky way, Winter Cherry Tree (Family: Apocynaceae) Yucca filamentosa, Yucca