This is a follow up post to the thread I started back in May, which is just a bit further down the list. Anyway, after the spring flush, I cut both my Cezanne and Crystal Fountain down to about 8". I pruned each vine back to the first set of leaves, and gave both plants a healthy dose of fertilizer and sat back to watch them regrow. Both plants rewarded me with awesome fall flushes, even better then the spring flush in my opinion. In the spring, I was a bit disappointed with my Crystal Fountain, and contemplated shovel pruning yet, well I'm glad I didn't. It bloomed much more heavily this fall than it did in the spring.

Here is my Cezanne in a container, fall flush.

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And a couple of my Crystal Fountain, who has earned her keep for atleast one more season.

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This was the first time I had pruned back my clematis after the spring flush. I was rewarded with even better fall flushes. Previously, when I didn't prune them, they would jus sorta bloom on and off sporadically all year, but got kinda ragged looking in the mean time. I much prefer pruning them back now. Makes for cleaner looking plants, and also a better fall flush.

enjoy,