Thank you gardengal. At least that gives me hope for the future

now I’m thinking I should put some sort of vine or climber in front or next to the clematis that aren’t next to cl. Iceberg

I cant think of a well behaved vine but perhaps a smallish climbing mini rose that is not a rampant grower . Something to soften the look of a bunch of dead stalks

If anyone has any suggestions let me know. I thought about Jeanne la Joie but I think mini in her case refers more to the size of the flower and that the bush can get really rather large.

A shallowly rooted but somewhat mounding perennial would work. Like one of the hardy geraniums or a lower growing selection of catmint.

I think I need something taller. The brown dry leaves works their way up and by the end of June the entire thing will be brown. Maybe an annual Mandevilla vine would work until the clematis settles in and ceases to brown out

If much of the vine is brown, hard prune it so that it puts out new growth.

You could also plant a bushy perennial in front of it but not too close, something like Baptisia or Amsonia that will fan out a bit from a central point and create interest when the clematis isn’t at its best.