GARDENING
CLEMATIS CAN DO VERY WELL IN CALGARY — IF YOU PICK THE RIGHT ONES
I’ve told this story before, but it’s a fun one. One day, while working at a garden centre in Calgary, a young woman approached me. She had an eyecatching Nellie Moser clematis with large, pale pink flowers in her cart.
“My mom says I just must get this one,” she proclaimed enthusiastically. “But I’m not sure which other one to get. Can you help me?”
Knowing that good ol’ Nellie is a poor bet in Calgary, I mischievously replied, “Oh, put that back. That grows like a charm in Vancouver where your mom lives, but it just won’t do for here.”
“Oh my God, how do you know where my mom lives?” she exclaimed, eyes round.
I admitted it was an educated guess as we moved toward the selection of clematis.
We picked out a Bluebird and a lovely Ville De Lyon instead.
Clematis actually do very well in Calgary — if you pick the right ones. It’s not hard to pick the right one if you check the tag. The key is to look for the pruning group.
It will say A, B or C. Avoid picking anything in the B group. Unfortunately, these might be the ones that draw your eye, as these hybrids often sport large showy blooms, even in pots. Our Miss Nellie is a popular example. Although the roots are hardy enough to survive a real winter, it will die to the ground, sending new shoots up every spring.
But since B group clematis bloom mainly on old wood, you will get very little bloom. It’s a peeve of mine that these clematis are the ones stocked most often at big box stores.
The clematis in the A group also bloom on old wood, but these beauties (Clematis alpina or C. macropetala) are hardy enough that the vines survive winter. In fact, these clematis can grow to thuggish proportions, although it takes many years for them to do so. Place them where they can ramble over the side of a garage or along a sturdy fence. These beauties bloom with bellshaped blossoms profusely in spring. Some popular varieties include the “Bluebird” that I helped my customer select, as well as “Rosie O’Grady,” with pale pink blooms.
The clematis in the C group (in particular, the viticella clematis) will die to the ground where winters are wild, although it’s quite fine to leave the old vines up until spring. Cut then back to four inches or so before new growth starts.
These clematis will grow to less impressive dimensions than an A group clematis, but once established, it will cover a decorative wrought iron trellis within a few years of planting. They sport flat, open flowers in shades from pale pink to dark purple in summer. The lovely Ville De Lyon that replaced the Nellie in my customer’s cart has dark rose blooms. The very common Jackman clematis (C x “jackmannii”) with its pure purple flowers is also in this group.
Clematis need very little help from us as long as they are in the right spot, which is a sunny exposure.
If you do any research on these grand vines, you’ll read that they like a cool, deep root run. This is true for the most part, but we don’t need to fuss too much, since our soils stay cool compared to southerly locales. It’s a good idea to plant the vine fairly deep. Some people plant them 10 or 20 centimetres or more deep. Mulch the root zone or a plant a whole bunch of small plants around the foot of the vine. That looks pretty.
Gardeners on the “Great High and Dry” often feel hard done by compared to those in balmier climes. It should bring a spark of joy to know that up here, clematis suffer from few of the ills you might read about.
Once established, these queenly vines take care of themselves. A dollop or two of compost scratched into the soil is all they need.
The main ingredient to successful clematis growing is patience. It takes several years for the vines to really perform. They spend a few years concentrating on building a huge root system. But then, just wait — the show gets better every year.
The best time to start one of these tough but slow vines? Right now, of course.