About 6 weeks ago, as we were pretty sure we would be moving this summer, I moved my clematis from the garden into a container of approximately 2 gallon size. It did great there for about 3 weeks. The bloom that was forming (this is only it's second season) opened and was beautiful. The week before the bloom opened, we had lots and lots and lots of rain. The day after the bloom opened, the bloom collapsed. Within a few days the whole plant had turned brown/black. I tested the stem for flexibility; it has some give to it and doesn't just snap off.

My question is, can I save this poor thing? If so, what should I do? I plan to leave it in the pot for the remainder of this season - when should I put it back in the ground? How do I protect it from too much rain while it's int he container?

This is my first clematis (it was a mother's day gift in '08 from my MIL who passed in August '08 so I REALLY want to save it).