Emmgus, I have had mine in for at least four years now and I treat mine as a type II every year. Mine blooms once later than it would otherwise if I didn't treat it as a type II, but it essentially only has one flush of blooms also. It doesn't matter if I trim it back after the first flush or not.

Take with a grain of salt any info about when clematis bloom and length of their blooming periods that you might find listed. Clematis are as individual as people and will often do what they want to-they don't read what is written about them either! LOL A lot of the info out there in print comes from the British clematis growers. Their growing and climate conditions are vastly different from anyone here in the US except for those living in the PNW.
Your experience with any clematis will best be determined by your garden and the plant's growing conditions. It sounds as if you are doing everything correct so just keep doing it.

Mine has never reached 8 feet. It is probably about 6 ft max. It has a few scattered blooms in the fall. Miguel is right, all plants can grow differently from one garden to another and certainly from one zone to another. I still like her :-)
Carol

thanks to both of you for the responses. i do still love my niobe, but the disappointment has been that i planted it next to an arbor and had visions of it climbing up and onto the top. oh well! now i am thinking that i may move it to another new trellis, where i wouldn't have such "high" expectations. can you recommend a good partner for her there that would be more likely to bloom longer?

which makes me think of another question: if i move the niobe from the arbor, what would be a good taller replacement for it, to climb up and on top? i have one clematis on each corner (it's a pretty good sized arbor) - ernest markham, rosemoor, and harlow carr. i like the purple/red combo, and am trying to get some blooming happening all summer. the only one that seems to have the potential to cover the top is the ernest markham. i only planted it last fall and it got to the top this year.

sorry for all the extra questions! thanks again, you all are so helpful, and have so much more experience, i really value your opinions!

If you are looking for another reddish colored clematis to substitute for Niobe, I would go for Avant Garde. It is at least 8 feet tall for me, a vigorous grower, and has bloomed intermittently this summer after its main flush earlier in the season. I really didn't know if I was going to like this clematis, but have found myself loving it more and more this year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Avant Garde

Another good choice would be Madame Julia Correvon.

Here is a link that might be useful: Madame Julia Correvon

thanks nckvilledudes for the recommendations and the photos.

avant garde is very cute, and so unusual! i think i saw madame julia correvon at a nursery recently for half price, i might go back and see if she's still there.

the more i think about it, i definitely want to move the niobe and put something taller in it's place. i've also had my eye on black prince - i think you have that one don't you? i think i noticed it in your photos. i'm not sure if i could find it now, but how does that one do for you? the color looks amazing!

Yes, I do have Black Prince. So far it has done well. It was purchased from Chalk Hill this spring and grew to over 6 feet tall in its first season in the ground. It is a very dark burgandy red colored clematis.

Madame Julia Correvon was one of the first viticellas I ever purchased after seeing a show on the viticellas on an HGTV show many years ago. She is one tough cookie that I get reblooms on every year.

a tough cookie is good, and pretty too! i don't want any more troublemakers in my garden, i have plenty already. hopefully they still have one at the nursery where i saw it, i will go tomorrow and see.

black prince looks so beautiful too, i tried to find it, but i will most likely have to wait until spring. good to hear that so far it's a good one for you!

thanks again,
emmgus

Give her LOTS of water (daily)and fertilize with tomato fertilizer.....add a teaspoon of Epson soil and mix in soil around her roots.......sunset

Sunset, no clematis should need watering daily. If the clematis is planted at the correct time of year (either spring or fall depending on your growing zone), is planted correctly (deeper in the ground than it was in its original plant), and is mulched adequately, it shouldn not need watering daily. Clematis do not like to sit in water and unless you garden in sand, watering daily can likely lead to root rot and your clematis rotting out.