Pot them up in gallon sized pots. Bury the crown 2 inches or so below the soil level. Keep them well watered and once they start growing pinch the growing tips out. Keep them in the gallon sized pots until you see roots near the holes in the bottom of the holes in the pots. Depending on the varieties you purchased, you might be able to plant them out this fall or next spring.

Cut off anything broken or wilted too.

And put bonemeal, dehydrated manure & compost or leafmold in the soil mix. A little rose or tomato fertilizer wouldn't hurt either, or you could wait on this until you see new growth.

Marie in ME

Thanks for the advice - I followed it. The good news is that when I unpotted them, they seemed to have strong root systems.

In addition to Miss Bateman, H.F. Young, and Barbara Jackman, Lowe's had Violet Charm. I have to go back there to get something tomorrow. Is it worth picking up one of the Violet Charms for my neighbor, assuming I could nurse it back to life? I don't know anything about this cultivar.

Thanks, Bunny

I got one VC on ebay last year & love it. Strong stems & big flowers, rebloomed for me (rare here),

Marie

Bunny,
Where in NC do you live? I'm going to check out the Greensboro Lowe's today, hopefully they'll have the same clearance that you found!

Red clay soil, I live in Kernersville and was at Lowes last weekend. They had gallon sized clematis here but they weren't on sale yet. They also had smaller pint or so sized clematis that I don't remember the price of. Unfortunately most of the ones in my store were type IIs>

I live in charlotte. the lowes also had austin roses for 5 dollars - perfectly healthy, just no blooms.