Location and staying moist is key...Plant your Clematis 2-4 inches deeper than the pot it came in ..make sure and toss in a couple handfuls of Bonemeal in the planting hole...Plant your Clematis at a slight 45 degree angle towards what you want it to grow onto...Keep your clematis moist..the roots love that...pruning group 2 means you don't prune(Except to remove dead vines or to shape and keep in bounds)..BUT, I prune my pruning group 2s like pruning group 3 the second season they are in my gardens and from then on treat like a 2(This aides in getting the roots established which ensures a healthier clematis in the future)..they love to have their head up in the sun and their roots moist..they need at least 6 hours sun...some fade in the hot evening sun..so if you have an area that gets a good 6 hours of sun from sunup then you have the purrrrfect spot..they like Rose Fertilizer or Tomato Fertilizer..but I never use that on my clematis when first planted....bonemeal suffices for the first few months..never fertilize when setting buds..do it each Spring..if you fertilize when it has set buds you only rush the bloom period....hope this helps...Jeanne