Clematis on an obelisk?

Our inherited garden has a large flowered clematis in it - I don't know what it is exactly. The first year we were here the flowers were white and HUGE but quite sparse. Last year it totally failed to flower after I gave it a hard prune in the spring .

It didn't really have any decent support, but we've just given that bed a bit of an overhaul and we've now got a couple of options:

1) train it back onto the fence. Fine in principal, except it'll be fighting with a rambling rose and a vine.

2) stick a little obelisk over it and make it go round and round and round.

I've kind of done (1) already - mainly because I was untangling it and needed to do something with the stems before they got too windswept. But now I keep looking at it and thinking that the fence is going to get really quite crowded when the vine starts growing. And I've got a little obelisk sitting in the shed looking unloved.

I guess my concern is how do I prune it once it's going round and round and round? Or should I learn from last year and keep the secateurs well away from it?

Thoughts, comments, other ideas

 

Tangle - there are three different pruning regimes for Clematis, according to the variety. http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/plantfinder/clematis_17.asp

If you prune in spring one that flowers on old wood, you will be cutting off the flower buds as you have discovered. You prune those just after they have flowered. They then continue to grow and will flower next year on the growth set the previous year.

Why not try it on the obelisk. You will probably want to prune regularily as an obelisk is not that big. For instance I have a C. montana (which are renowned as being very big) which has grown 6 foot up a framework and has now grown over 20 foot sideways!

 

Yes Peter those Montana's do go a little crazy don't they? Although few plants can hold a torch to their stunning display in May.Hel.xxx.

 

Right - tis done. Now firmly ensconced on the obelisk so we'll see what happens this year.

From looking at that link (and this one: http://www.britishclematis.org.uk/Pruning.htm) I think it's probably a Group 2 - so now's the right time of year but it should only get a light trim. I hope! It's certainly not a montana or the like, as it's (thankfully) nowhere near rampant enough.

Thanks for the input

 

Just found a photo of C. montana

 

Peter in our old garden my montana was twice the size of that and the stem was HUGE!

It started life as a little imp growing up some wires at the side of our garage but within no time at all it was covering all of the garage and down the sides. Bob had to make a trellis work walkway all along the garden path so in the end we had a stunning tunnel walkway with the montana covering the lot!

Your picture is stunning and I'm thinking where I can put one in this garden now. Hel.xxx.

 

Thanks Helen. It's only five years old so far - so may have more to go. I also planted a Wisteria at the same time to the right of the arch. Its very happy and is flowering, but is clearly still in its starting blocks.

I saw a lovely picture on television of a Wisteria, which can grow even larger than a Clematis montana. It started at one side of a property and went 30 or 40 feet across a house at first floor level, then across two driveways and another 30 or 40 foot across the neighbouring house. I thought what a lovely plant, and how wonderful that two people are sharing it.

 

Your montana is stunning, Peter. We used to have one over the door of a cottage we rented, but the garden here just isn't really big enough to do one justice. Although the side of the house is pretty bare at the moment.... How do you think it would cope in a little bed (less than 1ft) against a W facing wall onto a footpath between the house and another? Not really ideal, I know...

I'd love a wisteria as well, but same problem - don't really think we have the room. One day (when we've won the lottery and have that nice house with the big garden and someone to come and give me a hand :D )

 

Peter I think I have found the place for a Montana after all on our attached outhouse thingy, I will of course have to keep it in check but then again the rewards for such a stunning display in May more than makes up for the ground work so to speak!Hel.xxx.

 

we have just chopped some leylandi down they were about 50 foot high we have cut them back to about 20 foot and have cut most of the green of as they were a nuisance to us and our neighbour we want to leave the trunks and remaining branches for bird perches do you think one of these montana would be suitable for growing up them as we want to have something growing up them with nice floral display

 

Any of the montanas will do fine Galaxy.

 

Sky's the limit I reckon once they get going

 

They really are impressive when they are let loose. Nice one Nick.

 

Hi Galaxysue,

we did a similar thing, lopped off a row of conifers, but planted up close to them a couple of vigorous rambling roses and a jasmine. We put loads of manure round the climbers (as the soil had got quite poor) It's been a success, although the conifers are still alive and pruning the remains back is a bit tricky without hacking the climbers too much. I'm sure a clamatis montana would do really well in the same way - good luck!

 

Very impressive Paladin. You could have a shed and a complete hideaway in there. :D