And for all you CLEMATIS fans ...

[Juliet]

Sorry Plocket, couldn't resist adapting your thread title!

I just ordered some seeds from Thompson & Morgan's website. They have various special offers, including one for Clematis Florida Sieboldii - worth £17.99, reduced to £3.99 with any order for seeds:

seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/aww3162/1 (just to show you the plant - you don't need to click buy - you will see the offer if you put any seeds in your basket).

Can't remember what the other offers were - I thought that was the best, but there are several.

[Plocket]

Hey thanks for that heads-up Juliet! I've already got an order pending with T&M but hadn't noticed the Sieboldii. I've added one to my list in case the one my mouse is nesting in doesn't make it! Px

[Chuckles]

I've got one on my order ;D couldn't resist for £3.99

[Chuckles]

P when did they say they would be despatching the Sieboldii, I've lost my paper work that came with my seeds ::)and I'm sure it said on there.

Have you been good and kept yours

[Juliet]

I think it wasn't until June, but I'll check for you if Plocket can't remember!

[Plocket]

I think you are right Juliet and it's June.

[Chuckles]

thanks, i'll set myself a reminder. You can so easily forget these things

[mickthecactus]

I have just been dealing with a storm claim where the client insisted that a 40' clematis had been blown down and bought down an arbour and fences. That would be a hell of a clematis wouldn't it?

And of course we have now established that it was a Wisteria.

[Juliet]

Anyone else got their clems yet? Mine arrived yesterday - they are teeny! I wouldn't have been impressed if I'd paid £17.99 for them, but for £3.99 they look alright . Potted them up & gave them a drink & a bit of woodchip mulch to shade their roots ... Plocket, if you're reading this - how soon do I need to put something in their pots for them to climb? I only have great big bamboo canes which came with much bigger plants so I need to find something a bit more suitable!

[Plocket]

Mine arrived on Saturday and they look good. Juliet if you've got any bamboo barbeque sticks use them (well that's what I do!) - the sooner you shove a stick in the better because you don't want to damage the roots later. When you plant them up again (when they are bigger), you can use bigger sticks then, putting the little plant and the stick in at the same time. Make sure you keep an eye out for slugs and snails too - they will ADORE young clem leaves and shoots!

[Juliet]

Thanks Plocket - I don't do barbeques (I'm a veggie!) but I'll see if I can get to a Garden Centre at the weekend & look for something suitable ... that will give me a good excuse to go to a GC, won't it?!

I put slug & snail tape round the pots so hopefully that will keep the critters away from the baby clems - though the ones in my garden seem to be completely addicted to sunflowers - even though I waited until my sunflower seedlings were a fair size before I planted them out, they've still been decimated again this year

[Plocket]

You can do veggie kebabs!!! Halumi cheese, shallots, mushrooms, red pepper and courgette - delish!!!

Put some sharp sand or fine grit around them (or does your OH eat eggs? You can bake and crush the shells) that will help too. And put some of the copper tape around the part of the cane just sticking out of the soil - I've got it around the bottom parts of many of my obelisks and it does work!

[Juliet]

Thanks Plocket - some good ideas there .

Perhaps I should have said I don't do cooking - your kebabs sound way too complicated for me.

[Plocket]

PML! Oh Juliet you are lovely! How about I just post you a few BBQ sticks? Surely that would solve the problem! It's a serious offer - PM me your addy if you want them.

[Juliet]

But then I wouldn't have an excuse to go to the garden centre this weekend

Seriously, I'll see if I can find something over the weekend, but if I can't I'll send you a pm - thank you very much for the offer

[Plocket]

No worries Juliet - enjoy the garden centre and let me know if you need some kebab sticks!!!

[Juliet]

I got some! - also some pots (well, you can never have too many pots, can you? )

I've put 3 sticks in the clems, & some more in my baby jasmines .... there are quite a few more in the packet though. R says this does not mean I need to buy more baby climbing plants to grow up them - but I'm sure he's mistaken

[Plocket]

Of course he's mistaken!!! ;D It sounds as though you had a good shopping trip

[Juliet]

I thought I had lost 2 of my baby clems a few weeks ago, when they were apparently attacked by amazing flying slugs, but following some frantic pms to Plocket & some good advice from her, I managed to rescue them & prevent the third one getting slugged. Here they are now:



As you can see, the unslugged one actually has three flowers! Here's a macro of one of them:



I'm so glad they have survived - I think they're beautiful - so thanks Plocket!

[JennyWrenn]

Oh what beautiful clems - if Plocket is reading this can u tell me Plocket if it is normal for my Pam Jackman to start flowering again

She has fluffy seed heads AND flowers - not that I am complaining

[Deleted]

Hi Jenny,

My Grp 1's are having a second flush as well.

I do remember them doing it last year to so normal behaviour I think.

My Pamela is only a baby so I can not wait to see her flower next year.

Sara

[Plocket]

Hia Juliet - oh haven't they done well? You must be delighted with them! Mine are looking good and have buds but haven't yet flowered, and I gave one to my MIL so hopefully hers is doing ok as well. Don't forget to protect them a bit over winter and they'll reward you for years

Hia Jenny - it's an alpina and yes it can produce more flowers, although probably not a profusion. My Frances Rivis and Constance both have some flowers but do still look a bit tired. So nothing unusual

[JennyWrenn]

Hi Plocket

The flowers are at the mo out numbering the seed heads - she must be a happy clem ;D

[Plocket]

Oh she looks glorious - lucky you!

[bagpuss]

Oh you lucky people, what beautiful flowers.

Out of interest, my I planted my baby Comtesse de Bouchard, which at first seemed very happy and shot up from about 2 ½ inches to about a foot tall. That growth then started going very limp and eventually went almost black. I thought I was going to lose it, but thankfully it has got some new healthy looking growth appeared and it is about 2 ½ inches tall again now.

When I planted it, it was supported by trellis.

Any idea why the initial growth may have died?

[Plocket]

Hia Bagpuss - it was possibly just settling in and not getting enough nutrients and/or moisture. It sounds as though it's ok now though - phew!