We are now hopefully through the frost zone so you can get sowing seeds
Choose some nice annuals as they will grow quickly and give you lots of flowers
Perennial plants can be grown from seed, dividing or cuttings. Buying them in flower is useful as you can see exactly what you are getting.
Look after your tender new plants, slugs and snails will think they are tender too and very yummy, use organic methods such as nematodes to keep the little blighters at bay
Weed carefully around your new plantings, do not get weeding frenzy and pull up ones you want to keep
If you have children involve them in choosing and sowing seeds: big seeds like nasturtiums, sunflowers and marigolds are great for small hands to sow and reliable so will almost certainly grow
Drink a nice mug of cocoa at the end of the day and think how glorious it will all look in a few weeks time
Tuesday: Flowers from bulbs and tubers
What to choose for Summer bulbs
It should be warm enough for you to plant out your dahlias and cannas now. Keep them well watered so they establish quickly and give them a weekly feed. Liquid seawed is my plant food of choice.
Keep an eye out for slugs and snails, they love young dahlia shoots.
You will soon be choosing and planting bulbs to flower next Spring – always fun choosing what you want, keep notes on those you see and like so that you don’t forget.
Wednesday: Bare root and Rose Day
Make sure you are deadheading spent flowers so that they will repeat flower
Keep an eye out for greenfly, you can squidge them with your fingers or use soap-water made from swirling a bar of soap in some tepid water until it goes milky and then using this to wash off the greenfly.
Or leave the greenfly for the ladybirds and other wildlife that will eat them – decide how much damage you think they are doing and if you are prepared to just let them be.
Similarly decide your approach to blackspot. How much do you care? If you want to remove the affected leaves then do, but other than them looking a bit spotty they will not affect the blooms
Start keeping a list of the roses you want to plant next year. You can have too many as space is always a question, but you can push the limits of that space for quite a while.
Follow @rosesuk on Twitter if you want to see her daily rose choice, they are all so tempting
Thursday: Fruit and vegetable day
Look after your vegetable patch
Weed your vegs beds and award yourself a medal for doing so, I always think I should have a medal when I do
You should be harvesting some broad beans, maybe the last of your purple sprouting broccoli
Keep an eye on your new plantings, look out for slugs, snails – you know the usual suspects!
Successionally sow peas and beans
I grow nasturtiums in my veg bed as they look great and help attract the blackfly away from my beans
Fruit should be plumping up now, make sure the birds don’t steal all the cherries as they start to get a little pink
Make sure you keep everything watered and feed regularly. A bit of care and attention and you should get good crops
Friday: Floral Display Day
Making the best of cut flowers
Pick your flowers early in the morning or in the evening when it is out of the heat of the day
Plonk (technical term) cut blooms into a bucket of water as you walk around, this keeps them fresh
Arrange or re-plonk into a vase/anything that will hold water that takes your fancy
Make a list of the flowers you want to grow for cutting next year
Sit back, sip a Friday evening sherry, and admire your handywork
Saturday: Project and upcycle day
Upcycling ideas
Have a look for what you can upcycle into something new: that old coal scuttle can become a planter maybe?
What else have you got that might make a planter? An old sink? Some car tyres? If you have children ask them for their ideas and get them (safely) involved
Make a start on that project you have been putting off. Start drawing up a plan if it needs one, work on the shopping list and make sure you complete it, a half-finished project is a nagging project and no one wants that in their garden glaring at them.
Maybe make a bug hotel out of some old crates.
Drink tea and pat yourself on the back for getting through an enjoyable gardening filled week
Sunday: Transformation Day
Transformation tips
Go out into your garden and stand for a moment and breathe. Walk around fairly slowly, let your mind relax and listen to what your garden is telling you. What is the change you need to make?
Paint the shed a nice mauve lavender colour, maybe stencil some butterflies on it – go on, you know you want to really
Rearrange the pots with plants in to make them look different
Pour a large mug of tea and relax, transforming is tiring work
Clematis plant are some of the most versatile blooms that you can grow in a garden.
Because they are climbers you can pretty much grow them anywhere as long as they have something to cling onto. This could be:
A trellis or wall panel
An obelisk, wigwam or climbing frame
Another plant
They take up almost zero ground space but will need room for the stems to grow and flourish. They are also one of the most satisfying plants to grow, beautiful blooms in a myriad of shapes sizes and colours which just add that wow factor to your garden.
Types of Clematis
Clematis is a large group of plants which belong to the Ranunculaceae family. There are over 300 species and hundreds of hybrids. For the average gardener, Clematis varieties can be divided into eight separate groups. These in turn are organised into two main divisions, the Large Flowering and Small Flowering species.
Large Flowering Clematis
These varieties are typically characterized their large, dramatic flowers, which are sadly, rarely scented. The roots of these plants are lace-like in appearance.
These Clematis plants are unfortunately prone to the fungal disease known as wilt.
Early Large-Flowered Group
The flowers of this group are incredibly large, often 15-25 cm (6-10 in) across. These are star-shaped and may be single or semi-double blooms
Flowers come in a wide variety of colours, usually bloom in two waves initially late spring or early summer, then likely repeat flower in late summer and early autumn
Pruning Group 2
Notable Varieties
Clematis ‘Diamantina’
Clematis ‘Nelly Moser’
Clematis ‘The President’
Late Large-Flowered Group
Their flowers are impressively large, 13-20 cm (5-8 in) across usually star-shaped, in single, semi-double or double blooms
These clematis can reach up to 2-3.5 m (6-12 ft) in height
They usually bloom in two waves, early and mid summer on new wood, often repeat flowering again in late summer and early autumn
They are usually full sun or partial shade tolerant
The foliage of some of these clematis is susceptible to powdery mildew
Pruning group 3.
Notable varieties
Clematis ‘Ernest Markham’
Clematis ‘Perle d’Azure’
Clematis ‘Ville de Lyon’
Small Flowering Clematis
Small flowered Clematis are usually characterized an abundance of small flowers, which are often scented. The roots of the plant are fibrous in appearance. These plants are easy to grow and the foliage rarely suffers from wilt.
This main Clematis group is subdivided into six distinctive sub-groups each presenting very different sets of qualities.
Atragene Group
This group of clematis contain varieties that are extremely hardy, undemanding and easy to grow
They’re also cold-hardy so can be grown on north and east facing walls
Profuse bloomers from mid to late spring and occasionally in late summer
The flowers produce ornamental, fluffy and silky seed-heads, which remain on the plant, adding further interest
They are gentle plants and do not smother their supporters
Pruning Group 1
Notable varities
Clematis ‘Pamela Jackson’
Clematis ‘Frankie’
Clematis ‘Markham’s Pink’
Clematis – Evergreen Group
The earliest Clematis to flower, the Evergreen group includes small-flowering clematis which provide gardeners with floral interest in winter
Blooming from midwinter onward lowering at a time when the garden has little to offer
Transform boundary walls and fences into leafy screens, the evergreen foliage remains handsome all year-round and providing multi-season interest
Pruning Group 1
Notable varities
Clematis ‘Apple Blossom’
Clematis cirrhosa var. balaerica
Herbaceous (or Integrifolia) Group
This group contains easy to grow and long lived plants, these clamber over other plants in the border
They have no twining leaves (petioles) to help them climb and die to the ground at the end of each year
They bloom profusely over a long season, from early summer to early autumn, with the bonus of attractive foliage
Deadhead them after their first flush of blooms, they will bloom again within 30-45 days. You may enjoy 2 or 3 waves of colourful blooms
Pruning Group 3
Notable varieties
Clematis ‘Arabella’
Clematis x durandii
Clematis ‘Juuli’
Clematis – Montana Group
The Montana group of clematis are the most vigorous of clematis varieties
Their flowers are but they are full of charm, fragrant and create an abundant and spectacular floral display
Strong growers, they’re great for arbors, trellises, pergolas and other garden structures. These need to be sturdy as these plants can get very big
Pruning Group 1
Notable varieties
Clematis ‘Elizabeth’
Clematis montana var. grandiflora
Clematis montana var. rubens
Clematis – Orientalis Group
Originating from central Europe and Asia, this group comprises of species with bright yellow lantern or star-shaped flowers that are often nodding.
They bloom profusely from mid to late summer, even into late autumn.
Once the floral display is over the flowers are replaced with showy pom-pom like seed-heads.
Pruning Group 3
Notable varieties
Clematis ‘Bill MacKenzie’
Clematis serratifolia
Clematis tangutica
Clematis – Viticella Group
This group of clematis originates from Southern Europe and produces varieties that are durable, easy-care, vigorous and free-flowering
They bloom profusely over a long period extending from midsummer to autumn
They can be grown in large containers if give enough room enough to grow and something to climb on
Pruning Group 3
Notable varieties
Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’
Clematis ‘Polish Spirit’
Clematis ‘Princess Diana’
Planting
It’s best to plant in early spring or mid autumn as it is warm and the soil is moist. This helps to establish good root development for your plant.
Avoid planting in waterlogged, frozen or drought inflicted soil.
Choosing a clematis
You are likely to purchase a clematis from a garden centre, nursery or even a supermarket. Always look for plants that have healthy foliage, a multitude of stems and have a good number of flower buds on them. I generally avoid plants that are already full of flower as you are likely to damage them when planting the specimen.
These plants are quite delicate, keep them securely fastened in your car when taking them home.
Preparing the site
Most clematis will comfortably grow in sun or partial shade, but avoid a very shady spot. Herbaceous varieties need to be in full sun.
Some varieties which include evergreen winter and spring-flowering specimens will need a sheltered spot.
Clematis need to keep their roots cool and moist, consider this when you work out your planting area.
Allow enough space for your plant to grow into as some clematis are very vigorous.
Herbaceous clematis are best grown through plant supports or into nearby shrubs
Climbing varieties will need something to cling onto such as a trellis, arbour, obelisk or panel.
Preparing the Plant
Before you plan the clematis, soak the root-ball in water for 30 minutes before you plant it.
Clematis are tolerant of most soil types but if you have sandy or clay soils dig in some organic matter to help improve the soils structure. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root-ball but depth will vary depending on the clematis type chosen.
If planting against a wall or fence, dig the planting hole so that the root-ball will sit around 20 to 30cm (8 to 12in) away from the wall, further out if there is an overhanging. Use a bamboo cane to help the plant reach its permanent support.
For large-flowered hybrid cultivars (early and late-summer-flowering) make sure the top of the root-ball is 5-7.5cm (2-3in) below the soil surface. This encourages new shoots to grow from below ground level, it also helps the plant to recover from Clematis wilt.
Plant all other clematis types with the root-ball just below the soil surface.
Clematis love to gave their heads in the sun and their feet in the shade
Try and plant the roots in a shady area if possible, if not add stones around the roots to protect them from the heat.
Clematis bought from garden centres come pre-attached to bamboo canes and secured by plastic ties. These will need to be very carefully removed before attaching the vine to its support.
Most Clematis (with the exception of Herbaceous varieties) will naturally attach themselves to their supports with their twining leaves (petioles). You can also tie the stems to their supports but be careful not to damage the delicate stems. I usually create a loose loop with garden wire to support the stem without squashing it.
Pruning
There’s an old saying regarding clematis: “If it flowers before June, don’t prune”
The above quote is a really good guide if you are unsure of your clematis type.
If it flowers before early summer (June), leave it alone.
If it flowers from late June onwards, prune the plant in late February.
If you do know your Clematis type then you can find out which of the following three pruning groups it fits in.
Group 1
Officially these clematis shouldn’t need pruning however, as the plants get bigger they become more unwieldy
Regular pruning of clematis encourages strong growth and flowering and keeps the plant in check otherwise they become mass of tangled stems.
Prune your plants after they have flowered cutting back by up to one third. Always remember to cut to a healthy pair of buds.
Group 2
Prune in late winter or early spring (February)
Removing dead or weak stems before growth begins. Check each stems from the top down until you reach a pair of healthy buds, and cut just above them.
Avoid heavy pruning otherwise flowers may be lost
To encourage a second flush of flowers, prune back some stems by cutting to large buds or a strong side shoot immediately below the blooms.
Group 3
In February or March, cut back all the old stems to the lowest pair of healthy buds 15-30cm (6in-1ft) above soil level
If left unpruned, this group continues to grow and becomes top heavy
If you have space, leave the plant to scramble over pergolas or walls
Note: Herbaceous Clematis can be cut back to near ground level
Diseases
Clematis Wilt
Clematis wilt is a fungal disease of clematis which mostly affects the large-flowered hybrid cultivars. The fungus causes rapid wilting and, in severe cases, can kill the whole plant
Leaves will have discoloured black spots and show marked drooping
If the wilting stems are carefully removed and cut back to a set of healthy leaves the plant will survive. Be careful to dispose of the diseased stems as these can infect other plants
Clematis Slime Flux
This is a nasty disease. Where Clematis wilt usually affects the odd stem, Slime flux will affect the whole plant.
The disease is characterised by a horrible slimy, crusty, smelly ooze coming from the stems
It is likely to be fatal to the plant, but it can be saved if you cut away all the stems affected by the infestation. If you are lucky new shoots will appear in the un-affected areas.
Feeding and Watering
Clematis are thirsty plants, they don’t like to dry out and can become prone to drought stress.
In hot spells keep them regularly watered – especially if they are in a container
Feed them with a Potassium rich fertiliser, a rose fertiliser, for example, is very good
Apply a layer of Mulch after feeding such as well-rotted manure, leaf mould or garden compost, to improve the soil and help conserve moisture
Feed container-grown clematis monthly during the spring and summer using a general-purpose liquid fertiliser.
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