Most people complain about Clems growing too tall and having bare bottoms.

Looks like it is doing fine. I agree with BorS--most people complain about a clematis growing too tall and getting leggy.

As to whether the plants will rebloom if cut back now that they have finished blooming, the only real way to tell is to cut them back and see. The length of your growing season will determine this. Also give them a high phosphorus fertilizer and keep them watered well and the plant will do what it can. You might just be surprised. What do you have to lose by trying?

What do you mean by your established Clematis?..How old are they?..They look fine to me..do you fertilize them??...You might try just pruning back a few of the vines to see their reaction...I hard pruned my "Ramona" the first year ..she showed me her gratitude this year as I let her grow and didn't prune...Jeanne

My Niobe has never gotten very tall and it has been planted for years. It twines up a trellis and around a climbing rose and it usually tops out at about 6 feet. Your clematis certainly look healthy.

Carol

Ernest Markham is one of those that grows tall and blooms only on the top as I have had him too. Just bought him again last week and will see how he does at this location. Bought few others too.

Rhapsody was moved with me couple of years ago and was pruned by mother nature last spring so this spring it was not pruned at all. It does look healthy it's just I was hoping it would fill out the trellis.

You are right the only way to find out is to try it, will cut few stems and mark them to see if they bloom again. There are still buds that have not opened and spent bloom have been deadheaded.

If Niobe gets to be six feet tall that would be fine with me.

Thanks for responding.

Hi,
Just wanted to report that my Niobe and Rhapsody Clematis grew taller this year.

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...and same with "Fireworks".
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Millie

Millie..How beautiful..they tend to grow taller and wider with each passing year..congrats..Jeanne

They look wonderful being full and lush at the bottom.

They look great!

Thanks for your comments!

Wow beautiful clematis. Do you hard prune them every year to the ground? They look great.

Thanks flowerefan2! Mother Nature does it for me. So far they have all died to the ground at this location. Don't understand as this is a warmer climate than my previous location. Will see what happens next year.
Millie

Are you sure that third one is Fireworks? Mine has a dark bar on it that your doesn't seem to have.

Here is a link that might be useful: Firerworks at Brushwood

Buyorsell. My "Fireworks" looked like the one in the photo too in May but it has been in bloom already for a month and the first blooms did have the dark bar.

Here's a photo from last year.
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Millie

Hello:

Both Niobe and Rhapsody are small Clematis vines thier
average height is 6 to 8 feet.

Rhapsody is my slowest growing clematis. It is also the first of the large-flowered clems to bloom. This year I cut it back like a 3 and it seems to be getting taller. I tried to treat it as a 2 last year. It would probably help if I knew what I was doing.

Harry..don't feel bad hon..Clematis "Rhapsody" is not as vigorous as others in my gardens either and I've had him for 5 years..hard pruning will only force him to throw out more vines..and that is a good thing...Jeanne