On the farm we protect the bottom 12" or so from the rabbits (as the dog can't seem to catch them anymore) despite what type they are. As for pruning the rabbits do the bulk of it. Some of the clematis do okay by it and others have a hard time with being hard pruned every year. Since all of them get eaten to the snow level some years they are eaten lower than others and this year they should all be eaten to about 2', we have had a lot of snow this year. Miguels observation about the doubles is a good one and that would explain why we hardly ever see the double flowers. I will pass that on to my mother, she will just get a little madder at the rabbit population! Some get thicker and more stems at the base and some just continue what they always do and only put up a few stems. Although they do not generally get watered throughout the growing season as the well can't keep up with all the gardens. Which of course would effect the stength of the overall plant.

I prune down to a couple of buds on my type 3's. Pruning a type 2 the same way won't hurt it (the winter cold often kills my type 2's to the ground) but will delay the start of flowering for that year.

I would prune the montana now, after its bloom cycle, rather than waiting until late winter as is more commonly the case for other types. This will still encourage the plant to focus on developing a good root system yet allow sufficient time for growth of new stems which should provide for flowering next season. While I do believe an initial hard pruning is beneficial for all newly planted clematis, I also think it is important to be observant of the appropriate timing - and type I's are recommended to be pruned, should they need it, immediately after their bloom period. Like Jeanne, I'm not sure I'd bother with any future pruning, unless you wish to. IME, montanas are rampant growers, are never plagued by wilt and establish rapidly.

Yes.....roughly :-) When a specific clematis blooms does tend to indicate a pruning group (that's often one of the ways suggested to determine how to prune an unidentified vine) but as BorS suggests, the line sometimes become blurred. In general, early blooming vines (before May) bloom on old growth and require minimal to no pruning. If pruning is desired, it is best do so as soon as possible after flowering so as to allow sufficient time for flowering growth to develop for the next season. Midseason bloomers -those that flower anywhere from early May into late June/early July (weather determined) - are most often considered to be pruning group II's. These bloom primarily on old growth and should be pruned lightly once established. Not all group II's will offer a later rebloom; in fact, this group is sometimes subdivided into two groups to indicate those that rebloom and may require an additional light pruning after first bloom flush and those that do not. Late season bloomers - late June and after - are generally pruning group III's and bloom on new growth only and tend to respond best to hard pruning. In mild winter climates and those where the seasons tend to blend and are less distinct - like the Pacific Northwest - you do encounter some overlaps, but in general bloom time does correlate to pruning guidelines. And it is always a good idea to hard prune any new vine regardless of flowering time or pruning group for at least the first one or two growing seasons to aid in establishment and to encourage multiple stemming from the root crown.