Clematis 2020

Another one of my favorites are the Clematis,
which is going to be the next addition to the
garden.
Last year I added two, which turned out to
become a couple favorites.  Space is limited
so I'm becoming really picky as to what is
added.

Clematis Multi Blue

Clematis texensis 'Pagoda'

Clematis 'Crispa"

Clematis 'Josephine'

Clematis etoile violette

Clematis 'Piilu'

Clematis Duchess of Edinburgh

Clematis Niobe

Clematis Rooguchi

Clematis Sweet Autumn


Clematis  Louis Rowe not Franziska Marie as sold.

Clematis Jackmanii    Front yard one.

Back yard

Clematis plant grown from seeds from Suzy Mac
from Canada.  I call my plant Suzy Mc as it's from
her.   There is a C. Suzy Mac already.  I will not be
sharing this one.

Clematis tangutica

Clematis H.F. Young

From the tag photo due to the plant will not bloom
this year, small plant.

Clematis Blue Light

From the tag photo due to the plant will not
bloom this year, small plant.


I have been asked about why we cut our clematis back
this past week.  There is a FB group on clematis that I
shared photo and received lots of questions.   I have been
doing this for a while now.   I had an elderly lady stop at
one of my garage sale and talked to me about early cut
back so they will flower in the fall.  I look forward in
cutting them back before the 15th of July, her recommended
cut off date.  Not to do it in any later, were her words.  I used
to wait 48 hours to fertilize but was told the other day cut and
fertilize.  Last year I started to use the Rose Fertilizer, the 3 in
1 formula, what a difference!!  When I cut back I also add fresh
soil and then I wait a week and add more rose fertilizer.  Then weekly
I will fertilize half strength until they reach 4/5 foot.  I then use
ever other week a flower booster and full strength on a 20/20/20 fertilizer.

 

















7/20/2020

Here are the photos of the clematis already taking off.  A week after cutting we
use Rose Fertilizer and will go back to liquid fertilizer after our heat passes.  One of the
things I have learned to fertilize if it's over 90 is a total waste.  Wait until it cools down.

Then this am I got an email from Springhill nursery on
clematis pruning.  So I thought I would post it here to help
also.  Try it and see for yourself.


https://www.springhillnursery.com/clematis_pruning_guide?p=0475802&uid=---H~dCOKvnpR&fbclid=IwAR26RHPdfvlFYXF_loCdmAJOl5ifxMKAsQgLU1ClyjHaUoOFCvdSMMCIQjY

7/30/2020

We currently have all the clematis plants showing signs of growth.

We are totally impressed on how well they are doing even with our hot

temps of 90+ for the past week.    More photos to come!

The first one cut is currently 3 foot tall already!

August 1, 2020

High Winds 5/8/2020

Well again we are cleaning up the yard!  On the 7th I thought I would tidy up the yard so I could
enjoy the yard on Mother's Day.  For the past few weeks we have been picking up the maple seeds
that have come down from the trees to the north of us.  You see we don't want that stuff in our yard
and sprouting.  Let alone the issues they bring when they fall.  They can't be vac up, they have to be
picked up by hand!  So on Thursday I have them all picked up and the yard was looking so good.

DH had that Friday off to make sure when I got up on the roof that I didn't fall.  I just got it cleaned
and was putting the ladder away when the wind picked up.  All we could do was watch more maple seedlings fall and the neighbor's to the east fir junk come down and cover the whole yard!  No joke!!
Up over the house to the veggie garden area all the way back to the strawberry beds.   All the way to the west fence and cover the hostas!  I had to sweep off the deck 5 times and everything was covered.

DH was set to fix the few boards on the deck that were getting back and he said he was pelted.   All he could do when he was done was put a tarp over the new boards.  He had hoped to stain the boards
so they wouldn't warp.  He had to wait until late Sat. when the stuff kind of stopped falling to stain the boards.

5/11/2020, still sweeping junk off the deck and today was my day to vac up what I could.  I have pots on the driveway to clean out and vac the bed that have areas that are covered.    As of today I still have 8 more areas to vac up but will have to pick up Maple seedlings before I pick up the fir junk.

I remember last year it took 2 weeks to clean up the whole yard!   I think the photos show you just how bad it gets here.

The sad thing is I had folks show up looking 

for plants and all I could was apologize for the 

huge mess.  How can one sell plants when the

gardens are a pit??  They were very understanding

and had seen the gardens last fall.   Glad I could 

help them with Brugmansia plants!

5/12/2020

Again today we had rain, cooler temps and

high winds.  You know what I'll be doing if 

it's not raining.   I have fir crap all over the 

yard again!!  I was able to get the two Azaleas 

by the driveway cut back and in the recycle bin.

Have 2 more to go!! 

5/14/2020

Just have the large Hosta bed to the west to cleanup

and finish cutting back the last couple Azealeas.  I started

the one yesterday but the rain decided it was time for me

to go in.  So I potted up the newest brug seedlings, looking 

forward to seeing them bloom.

5/20/2020

Yet again we had another storm roll in with winds from the

west and the 80 footers started dropping their junk, so again

this am I'm out sweeping off the deck, around the rainbarrels

and Heat pump.  I no more than got the maple seeds picked up

than we got the shower that the weather folks promised.  Not

one but several!!  I will have to wait until it dries up to vac up

the mess.

4/29/2020 Time to Cut Back

Yesterday I was out and noticed that the four
Heavenly Bamboo were looking not so heavenly.
I found that the base of them were covered 6 inches
deep with fir needles, walnuts and pine cones.  No
wonder they looked bad!  These sit up under the neighbor's
fir trees and as I started to cut back I found lots of
sticks and limbs.   A few weeks ago limbs had hit
a couple and there was damage.   These shrubs
were close to the top of the fence, so it was time
to cut back and clean out the bases.  Sorry no before
photos but here is what is left.  Will take out the remainder
when my recycle bin is emptied today.  I can also
clean the fence and they will grow back.

Here is one we cut back in fall due to 

mold that had spread the from a neighboring

yard.  The Honeysuckle was covered with

the mold and the squirrels use the fence area

to travel.  

May 2020

I had a request to post when flowers bloom here.
Currently we are seeing the Wisteria, iris, primroses,
Columbines, pieris, red hot pokers and quince blooming.
The Clematis, hostas, poppies and peonies are starting to open.
I have had to cut back the Brugmansia due to being sunburnt
so they need to grow some before they bloom, best time to
see them bloom is the fall as we won't push them this year.
Fall/August is the time for the perennial hibiscus, they are just
popping up from the ground now.


May is the time to maintain your gardens, watering fertilizing and
deadheading. Trimming after the shrubs have bloomed.

Work on your grass, weeding and fertilizing.  You don't want to
fertilize in the hot heat, water the grass and tree!!

Now it a great time to put in your veggie garden!!  Feed
the soul with home grown veggies!

This is also the month that folks need to cleanup after the
fir trees drop their junk.  Ya don't want to leave this on the
soil or in your potted plants.

If you are putting in a new lawn now is a great time,  while it's
cooler.

After the Azaleas are done blooming it's time to clean the blooms out
and or cut them back.  These need to be cut all the way back to the
soil to rejuvenate the plant ever few years.   You can clean out the center
of the shrub at this time.  Check for moss and diseases that can spread to
other neighbor's shrubs if you let yours go.

April 2020

As we get this lawn taken care of we
have an issue with broad leaf grass that
isn't perennial grass we grow here.
Some bird or critter has brought
seed in and it's spreading like crazy.
So we will be spraying for it.

We have also been spraying for
Dandelions and thistle that has been
coming in my seeds.  No one sprays
for weeds so when they go to seed
they spread like crazy.  All one has
to do is look around at the yards with
weeds.

I have been putting out plant markers
so that the plants have a name so when
the gardens open the olks can pull the
marker and see what it is.  What the
goal is ID all the plants with what they
are called and on the back the name of
the plant.  Clematis on the front of the
label and the back 'Multi Blue'.  That way
they are marked and not in my head!!

We have tilled the veggie garden and
put out lime to sweeten the soil due to
the fir needles that have falling into this
area.  With the drop in temps we have put
off planting crops as we learned a few years
back that seeds won't sprout until it warms up.
Our temps have been going up for a few days
and then dropping to cool for seed germination.
Way to cool for tomatoes without giving them
some sort of protections.

We have just recently given the whole yard
the first of the fertilizing for the year.  Something
are growing leaps and bounds where there are other
things like the brugmansia needing some warmer temps.
The first tulip has bloomed so we are starting to
see the yard bud out more.

Come on May!!