Hi Mish Mish. I've had a clematis in a pot on my balcony (NE-facing) for going on 4 years now. Just put a new one in with it last spring. I cut them both back around the end of February and was about to go out and sprinkle some bulb food on them.

They're in a 21" container (yeah... LOL). But that is their "permanent" home. If you plan on moving and in-ground planting, then you probably won't need that much of a pot. It will also depend on how big the plant is that you buy too. For mobility purposes, you could pot it to the next size or two from what you buy.

Here's my "Prince Charles" (the bigger pink-lavender flowers) and "Madame Julia Correvon" (the small dark pink flowers bottom left of pic) last year:

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This is the Prince in more sun, flowers aged (which is closer to what he should look like):

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And Julia:

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This is what they looked like as they were leafing out last May (and a few weeks after I had planted the Madame Julia):

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Here they are with all the jungley vines before they bloomed (and you can put it in better perspective...lol)

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Where they are situated isn't getting as much sun as they would probably like in order to have a mass of bloom all over the entire thing, but they certainly love growing where they are though. LOL That spot against my balcony wall gets about 3 hours of morning sun in summer and more once the vines are tall enough to reach above the blueberries and lilacs along the rail, where they can get about 4 hours of unobstructed sun.

So it's do-able. Just be prepared to give them some support (something I'm trying differently this year using a tomato cage since the dead japanese maple that they were climbing on, finally broke away and fell down). LOL

I have some 16" pots that I don't know what I'm going to plant in them. Could I put two clematis in a 16" pot?

If you had 2 of the smaller growing ones, you might be able to get away with it for a couple years. If you want to keep one for alot longer, the 16" or bigger should be okay as a start.

Jenny, your plants and knowledge never fail to wow me! You are my inspiration.

She is in zone 5. Will it survive the winter in a pot on the balcony in zone 5? I'm also moving into an apartment with large balcony, in zone 5, and would like to know if perennials/bulbs will survive the winter out there in large containers.

It depends on the plant. The popular jackmanii clematises are hardy to Zone 3, which gives a Zone 5 grower 2 full zones of insurance, an oft-recommended formula to go by when growing perennials in containers (although 1 zone lower will more often than not work okay too).

So for Zone 5ers, if you look for plants rated hardy to Zones 4 or less, you'll pretty much do okay. You can always provide some extra protection (like wrapping the pot, etc) if need be and note that snow cover is a good insulator (and it's best to minimize the freeze/thaw cycle that can occur in containers):

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Thanks to all you answered my question before I even asked!It sounds like a zone 3 clematis in a 24" pot in a zone 4 area would survive. Now I know to watch out for freezing a thawing in the pots, will try to mulch around them. Lots of old hay on the farm. You people are wonderful. thanks

And don't forget to water during the winter months if they get dry!

Mine have done well in the past with part-shade, but in the current patio they don't seem to get enough sun to bloom well. Hopefully your morning sun is enough; just something to keep in mind. Good luck!

Robin

Mine are in a north east corner with very little if any sun, and the jackmanii are blooming now!

Mine have to "rise above" all the stuff at the rail to get sun but then what's wild, I noticed that a whole clump of flower buds bloomed literally at my bedroom window (from the backside of the plant). I think it was getting a reflection off the window, which gave it enough light (I'm not in my bedroom that much except to sleep, so the light isn't on in there much at all).

It's just about past it's peak and some of the flower petals are starting to drop, but what a glorious bloom!

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