It sounds like acclimation stress. Plants take a while to adjust to a new garden. Sometimes you just have to accept it the first year.

You could be overwatering. Are you also getting rain? You have some very thirsty plants, but check yourself on the watering. It's very easy to kill a plant with kindness.

If you are babying them along, the roots don't have to grow in search of water so they just sit. Letting them do withour water is helpful sometimes. If what you're doing isn't working, try something else.

I'm suprised the roses are wilty. Sure it isn't mildew? If the clematis had the disease WILT, they would turn brown right away.

Sounds like a gorgeous bed, but you may have to wait until next year to be at peace with it.

Mickie

Sounds to me like they are drooping because of the lack of water...Roses like Clematis like a good drink of water...Jeanne

Thank you for answering! Interesting points of view, well, I don't think it's lack of water, as the ground is wet underneath the mulch and darker in color.
At the feet of the clematis I put miniature roses, maybe they're too much for the clems? the miniatures are doing fine, by the way.

The rose is an unknown climbing rose, that I planted bareroot and I lost the plastic bag that it came in. the flowers are medium large with lots of petals, perfumed slightly and pink. Heavy flowers on skinny stems.

The two clematis that are doing the sad show are both Rouge Cardinal, and each has a couple of flowers. One is very interesting, in that it gave me initially two blue- purple flowers,that were identified here on the forum as Jackmanii Superba, but now it gave me red-magenta deep flowers, just like Rouge Cardinal, which was the label. dont know what to believe, maybe they were two little roots tangled in the pot.

I have other new clems on the sides which do not wilt so badly. But the Rouges would fall off the trelis if they weren;t suspended with little ropes, they are so limp every afternoon.

I hope I'm not overwatering, I don't water if it looks like rain, and when I do it is in the early mornings.

I like the idea of "aclimatisation stress" I hope that's the problem here, even if they've been in the ground for about 6 weeks now. ( they came in 1gallon pots, from costco)

It is not mildew I've seen that before and I know they don't have it. They do have alot of earwig holes though, I keep killing them all the time.

You should not need to water every day unless they are in pots.

Soak them really good every few days.

Do you have the bed mulched? That will help conserve soil moisture.

Do you have any way to give them some afternoon shade until they are more established?

I do have mulch ( cedar mulch) around them, and also a little bush of miniature roses shading their roots.
I did not know about infrequent watering, as the labels said they need to be watered often while young. and lastly, no, I can't give them any afternoon shade, as the sun is moving on the sky, the light and shadow moves as well. There are huge trees and huge apartment buildings all around, and the only time when the yard gets sunlight is in the afternoon, more exactly after 2pm, until about 6pm, after that the sun moves too far.

I know that the soil is very clayish and it has a lots of worms in it, but I did treat the holes and around them with purchased soil that contains compost. Don't know what to believe any more, I hope it's not a drainage problem. I just worked the ground all around them in order to improve drainage,and I added extra earth ( purchased) and worked it through.

I agree that you could be over watering, if you are watering deeply, but the drooping is more likely to be caused by being planted in high summer. The sun is very intense this time of year, and the immature root systems can't get adequate moisture up into the plant to support it.

Shading the plant will help more than it will hurt. One way to do this easily is get a few 4 foot plant stakes and some inexpensive material that is sold as "row cover". Staple the fabric to the top of the stakes and stick in the ground around the plant. That will provide shade, yet allow enough light to support the plants. That said, I've moved many plants in the middle of summer. I always mean to shade them, but never get around to it.

My Prince Charles planted this Spring is doing the same thing. Was a 1 gallon pot, and is kept moist enough, but in mid afternoon, the top part of the plant including flowers seem to wilt, and the next morning they look fine. It has been very hot these last few days - 30C to 32C. The rest of the clematis planted along this same fence are doing fine. Hopefully it will cool down soon and the plant will feel less stressed.

Hi, I'm glad ( and sad) I'm not alone, I didn't want to have the only fainting clematis in the world :). Yes, I think Janetpetiole you're right, this two were the last to be planted ( got them reduced price from Costco) and that might be the right thing, with the roots too young...
thank you for the info on shadding, even if I couldn't apply it because of the small size of the backyard, that needs to be shared with my doberman...