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linda1270

First Blooms - Silver Moon

18 years ago

Of all the Clematis I purchased last fall from Koi Gardens, this is the first one that has bloomed for me but it's also the shortest. It hasn't grown very tall which baffels me, it's supposed to grow 8 - 10 feet. The blooms are very pretty and have been out on the plant now for well over a week and not showing any signs of dropping off yet.

Here is a photo I snapped the other day.

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Comments (8)

  • 18 years ago

    Very beautiful blooms! Your mature clematis will be 8-10 feet tall. It takes 2-3 years to establish a clematis. It spends most of the first year developing roots. It will grow, just give it a little time.

  • 18 years ago

    Linda!!..How beautiful..it is a must have..thanks for sharing..love your garden..Jeanne

  • 18 years ago

    Very nice! Beautiful Brunnera and Lamium also!

  • 18 years ago

    Thank you, it's good to know that it will eventually grow that tall. I'm sure I'll have to wrap some netting around my lightpole so it will have something to grow on then.

  • 18 years ago

    A lot of my newer type 2s die back completely over the Winter, especially last year, and have their first blooms very close to the ground. Does look odd, but they will grow on longer vines next year. This was my first Fireworks in 07, almost touching the ground.

    {{gwi:594989}}
    When the bloom cycle is over, you could cut the plant back a little, feed, and maybe have taller flowers in the Fall.

    Marie

  • 18 years ago

    Very pretty Marie, funny, everytime I see the Fireworks Clematis, it looks different. Yours is very lovely! Good idea, I think I will cut it back a little once the blooms are finished. What type of fertilizer do you feed to your clems?

    Linda

  • 18 years ago

    When I first get a small clem (Fireworks was a Roseville in 4"pot from a box store , 06), I repot in a gallon pot with compost (or leaf mold, whichever pile is easier to get at), dried cow manure, with a bit of bone meal, blood meal (if I have it), time release general purpose flower fertilizer, a little soil from a plant I have repotted or planted from my favorite nursery (coarser, more gritty). I put in the plant as sidewise as I can get it, deeper than 4" if there is room, (for protection in cold Winters), and cover to the rim with the best soil I have. (Sometimes this gets done by increments if the plant is very short.)

    Then I plant pot & all & mulch with bagged stuff in the Fall (l got a good deal last year on black died wood chips).

    When I see new growth starting in the Spring (most tops of newer plants have been Winter-killed here), I take off the mulch to save for the coming year, and when the new stems are about 4" tall I put about a handfull of Rosetone on the surface, not touching the stems with it. Wanted to add a scoop of dried manure too, but didn't have the time.

    Fireworks is flowering now at about 4ft, and I plan to cut it back a little when the flowers stop, trim it back some, and remove the pot, planting directly into the ground, using the same mixture as for potting.

    It's another crappy day here again, so I can take the time to get long-winded. But the rain is needed, Would prefer to be outside and repotting 3 atragenes and twistieing vines that are getting higher than the last tie or self-grab.

    Almost forgot --after the replanting (or potting up if roots still not big enough) I use a liquid rose or tomato fertilizer mixture, about every 2-4 weeks until the end of August.

    Marie

  • 18 years ago

    Lovely blooms there. Remember with most plants it takes patience. They will mature and grow taller but they have to start somewhere. If you have children, they didn't mature from kids to teenagers overnight--even if it seems like they did! LOL

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