What a pretty plant and nice color blooms. I don't think it will hurt it to keep it growing over the winter. They don't rest in the warm climates where they grow year round.

Very nice, Wendy! Thanks for sharing.

Theresa

oh yeah, warm climates, didn't think of that. that's good to know.

what about those suckers? Is that normal?

Very nice Wendy. Are those suckers from the brug or some seeds sprouting from a different plant that might have fallen in?

Thanks. I am enjoying the fragrance immensely. Neat winter bonus!

hmmm... do brugs make seeds? I am pretty sure they are suckers. No nearby flowering plants.

I just went to see how deep I could dig in to see if it was attached and it snapped off about 4" below the soil level, so I would think it is not a seed. The lower 3rd is white like a scallion (no bulblet). If I pull the leaves apart they are pretty narrow and elongated.

Maybe a tulip or daff bulb got mixed in the soil??? I can't imagine how, but it does sorta seem like one.

Do brugs sucker?

I did a ton of pruning to it when I first brought it in. THe initial big cut-down and then a lot of subsequent cuts when it still kept growing a lot. I know my crabapple suckers increase the more pruning I do. THats why I thought suckers.

Ohmigosh, I just remembered something!!! Last summer I grew the brug in half-whiskey barrel. The preceding fall, I tried to grow spring bulbs in that whiskey barrel. None of them came up in the spring. It was a bust. But that must be what it is. some of the bulbs must have survived. How cool. Now I can't wait to see if the other "sucker-bulbs" blooms!!!!

Thanks for listening!!!

H
Wendyb I like your enthusiasm, are you new here?

Hi, I am new to brugs. I have always avoided them cause of hearing whining and complaining about bringing them in in the fall.

But the longer I garden, the more I need to try new things, so last year I tried a brug thinking I would treat it like an annual. Ha! Once I got a whiff of it, I knew it was a keeper!

It didn't start blooming til quite late in the season, so I am hoping that a more mature one next year might bloom even better!

I also tried soft cuttings, just one is hanging on. And I tried a hardwood cutting in water. Its doing great now in soil.

I think brugs will be part of my repertoire from here on in!!

Wendy

Welcome! I can just see you with 100 + cuttings of brugs before the fall of this year! Just wanted to warn you! What does everyone else think? :) Yep - another one - addicted!

Mike

Hi Wendy, yes brugs do sucker quite a bit. I would just leave those on for awhile till you get it outdoors and they get a little bigger. Then you can cut them off and root them easier because very green ones can be hard to root if you aren't used to it. Your tree does look happy.

Yes Wendy, last summer was my first experience, and with the aid (and abetting) of this group here, I have over 75 growing now indoors under lights!

prepare to becoming a hypnotized, mesmered, unsatiated zomboidal creature who lusts after each new Brug. that comes walking by....

Barry

Aren't we the group of enablers?? lol!

Mike

I certainly am a candidate for becoming an "enablee" as I was previously enabled by the clematis group and am now a clematis addict. I have 64 of those!!!

But I think because brugs take so much more room and sun and overwintering space, all of which I am scarce on so I should be able to withstand your best efforts! we'll see...

:-)

Wendy

Wow, 64 clematis? My first one just started blooming. Its so pretty! I can see me wanting more of those for sure.

Welcome Wendy!! Very pretty brug!
Wow, 64, that's alot of clematis. I only have 2! lol!
I know I am pretty new to brugs, but I personally would leave the suckers..am I wrong?
Nice job Wendy, seems that brug is happy with you!
Daniella

Wendy, Just stay away from
Karyn, (grin) she will have you into
EVERYTHING, and you wil have to build 2 or three new greenhouses!

Hey Wendy!!!! Welcome!
You Brug is just Beautiful... You are doing a wonderful job! And YES you will have more...LOL It is an enevitable process...I would love to see some of your Clematis...I only grow a few but they always ready to please with blooms... I look forward to seeing you around...
Kylie

I would like to see your clematis also. Can you post some pics of them? Mine is blooming its little head off in the garage. I hope it keeps blooming after I move it outside. I definitely want more of them.

I forgot to ask what kind your brug is? I am a sucker for orange. I have been over on the clematis site and there is a nursery over there that is having all its clematis listed on sale for $6. Guess what I am buying, lol. Any suggestions for good ones for central Texas?

You may be sorry you asked...but here goes! This is the one that is blooming in the "holding" basement. I was told it was a tender variety, but then somewhere else I read it was a Z4, so who knows. This pic didn't come out too good, but you can get the idea... small flowers indoors:

{{gwi:468967}}

This was it growing outside. the first bloom cycle had very awesome flowers, which I did not capture well in this photo. they were almost double with the inner layer (or anthers) being dark purple. On the bottom you can see more purple:

{{gwi:468968}}

After that bloom cycle I cut it back and it bloomed again later, but all singles:

{{gwi:468969}}

To see the whole Clematis collection:

http://picasaweb.google.com/gardengal4/Clematis

Oh, and my brug is Charles Grimaldi.

And for which clematis for TX, that is tough for me. They generally like partial shade and moisture, so I am not sure how they do in warmer climates.

However, there is a group called Texensis that I suspect would do well there. I have had trouble growing a texensis 'Duchess of Albany'. Its supposed to be great, but I've lost it twice.

Also for choosing varieties in general, the Group 2 (flowers on new and old wood) varieties are the fussiest but showiest. I have some, but I concentrate on Group 3 (flowers on new wood only) varieties. They are least susceptible to trouble.

A great clematis intro article was written by one of the founding enablers from the clematis forum:

Clematis Addiction

oops I made a typo in the link to the clematis collection photo album

Here is a link that might be useful: http://picasaweb.google.com/gardengal4/Clematis

Wendy, your clematis collection is gorgeous! For a minute there I thought the pic of "Betty Corning" was a purple Brug!LOL

Theresa

So pretty Wendy!! I wish I had that many clematis. I only have the 'Jackmanii' & 'The President'. I just got my Jack at the end of last season, so it didn't do much, only had 1 or 2 blooms.
Have you tried taking cuttings from them? DOes it work well? My MIL has a few I want to try and take cuttings from. Since all Ihave is purple, I need more colors, lol. ANy advice on that, like best place to take the cut, etc?
please?
Daniella