Clemaniac Heaven!
Lately, we here in Seattle have been blessed with a few sunny days and, oh , the juices are flowing — in me and in my plants! Garden cleanup, including weeding, sweeping, chicken-coop cleaning, and many assundry early spring tasks have been filling my outdoors time (when I’m off from work on sunny days). One task I accomplished is to gather together all the clematis that have showed up my potting area over the past several months. Ahhhhh, such glorious promise in all those pots. Now that rain is forecasted for a couple of days, I can stay cozy inside, check all my clematis resources, and plan where each new baby will go.
Clematis Pruning
Most of my clems in the ground are sprouting now and need pruning badly, but I’ve been holding off. On Thursday, I have the privilege through my job at PlantAmnesty to teach a small cadre of students (4 or 5) how to prune clematis in my garden. I will discuss pruning and demonstrate on my own plants and then allow the students hands-on practice. I’m really looking forward to the workshop and will be sure to post before and after photos!
Clematis in Seattle 
Katie said,
March 10, 2013 at 6:55 pm
LOL! Laura, you are a treasure. Love your blog, it’s so upbeat!
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clematisinseattle said,
March 10, 2013 at 7:24 pm
Thank you, Katie!
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Juliana Wilson said,
March 12, 2013 at 5:23 pm
I wish I knew which group my clematis belongs in. I suspect Group 2. There is scattered new growth now but 80% of it is old, dead looking leaves. It is 8 feet tall, 5 feet wide and (I’m sorry to say) I’ve never pruned it. I’m looking forward to your Group 2 instructions on what to do with this mass!
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clematisinseattle said,
March 12, 2013 at 6:55 pm
Thank you for commenting! Why do you suspect your clematis is pruning group 2? When does it bloom and how do the blooms look (color, size, shape)? At any rate, stay tuned, Juliana, because I hope to get good photos from the clematis pruning workshop in my garden on Thursday so I can clearly demystify the how-to of Pruning Group 2.
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Juliana Wilson said,
March 16, 2013 at 4:35 pm
The flowers are large, deep purple/blue with yellow centers and 4 or 5 sepals. From somewhere in my memory comes the name Jackmanii.It blooms in May (I think) and a get a few more blooms in early autumn. Thank you for replying, I’m looking forward to the photos!
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clematisinseattle said,
March 21, 2013 at 9:50 am
Thank you for sending more information about your clematis, Juliana. I am still not sure which clematis you have, though. Jackmanii, a wonderful and floriferous dark purple clematis with a yellow center, normally blooms from about late June into August, but rarely as early as May. However, if you live in a really warm climate, I suppose it could bloom in May. I would suggest that you prune it like a Pruning Group 2 Clematis (light pruning) for now. Then when it blooms, send me a photo–maybe I’ll be able to determine for sure which clematis it is.
I am working now on a how-to post that will describe, with photos, how to prune this group, so stay tuned. I hope to get the post out today or tomorrow.
Laura
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