Yes, very nice plants and already I spy a bud or two! :)

First bloom of the season has opened, plant is soooo tall at 5 1/2 ft, certainly more than I was expecting and hoping for!

How exciting, @FrozeBudd_z3/4! Can you please post pics when it’s in full bloom? I’m super excited about this clem and have the two I just purchased planted in a prominent location.

I for sure shall do! :)

Think I'll now take some more cuttings of this clematis, the ones I had taken last year at this time had rooted rather quickly.

@FrozeBudd_z3/4, for propagation, do you use rooting hormone? If so, any specific brand? Thanks!

I just stuck them in something like ProMix, be careful of anything with additional fertilizers, I had used no rooting hormone and tented the cuttings with plastic and placed in the filtered light of a south facing window, but not where it might become hot. Now is the ideal time for cuttings to give them enough time to establish before autumn.

Its healthy, in flower but nothing too outstanding...yet?

I had intended to post photos, though the plant grew so tall above the support it kinda toppled over itself and not looking overly photogenic, next year I'll for sure give them a nip at about 1 ft tall to encourage branching and reduction of height, I certainly hadn't expected over 6 ft when 42 inch is the claimed height.

Your plant is looking good Rouge, next year it'll be at full glory! :)

Actually I posted a pic of my 'so so' RD to encourage you @FrozeBudd_z3/4, to put up pictures of yours! Hurry up!

Photo snapped about a week ago, just the upper portion of the 6' plant.

Really like 'Arabella' and picked up two more on Rona's 75% off, nice big plants that I realized where two plugs in each pot, carefully tickled them apart and now have four husky plants to set out! :)

Superb specimen @FrozeBudd_z3/4...well done. (WHen you have time could you post a pic of all 6 feet?)

Next year will be a 'Jackmanii Superba' or 'Tie Dye' backing it ... or some other!

You people are terrible enablers. I'm thinking this would look great in front of my bluebeard shrub (just have to make sure there's enough room)

Lovemycorgi, your plant is doing well, next year should be rather glorious! Yes, just like 'Arabella', 'Rain Dance' pumps out the blooms!

A2zmom, I'm sure there's enough room, lol :)

Rouge, we've since had a good deal of rough intense storms, the plant and many things are kinda beaten up.

Would like to purchase a Rain Dance but cant find a nursery that sells it except for New Blooms and they are sold out. Any suggestions? Thanks.....

Judith

Alameda -- Rain Dance Bush Clematis | Sooner Plant Farm

Their website says they have 13 in stock.

UPDATE July 2024:

Mine is better contained this year with the pruning of stems I did at about 15 inch height, it's soon ready to pop it's blooms at chin height. I didn't prune the one in the garden and it went above it's support and flopped over the heliopsis, should make a nice combo though.

We await your pictures @FrozeBudd_z3/4.

Mine are in containers and fared well over the winter; because of our mild winter/spring, I pulled them out of my garage early and they were in full bloom by early June. However, they’re developing new buds now, so it won’t be long until I’m enjoying their beauty once again!

They’re a bit taller than I thought they’d be, so the stems flopped over the top of my obelisks.

From June 8:

Lovemycorgi, yes, this plant is a great performer, though taller as well than I had anticipated for certain garden aspects, the nipping of stems at 15 inches or so helps with that. As well, I have plenty of 'Arabella', would be nice to come across the white form!

"Clematis 'White Arabella' is a very free-flowering plant with the first flush of flowers being semi-double and subsequent flowers being single. The flowers are of the purest white."

'Rain Dance' does grow a bit like on steroids and am having to rethink its placement about the place, having tall obelisks in the front of many of my beds just does not work ... but, dang, 'RD' sure does have beautiful quality blooms! Most now shall be dug and moved that they mingle and scramble upon the yellow cedars, shrubs and conifers, shall look fantastic!

Gorgeous picture @FrozeBudd_z3/4.

So when you move them they will be not supported in the new location and be allowed to scramble/scrabble..to wherever?

(When will you do these transplants?)

No supports, I'll just help guide the stems to and through the shrubs to let them do their thing, I have one upon a yellow cedar and another just planted next to a tight columnar white spruce, will look nice as well with 'Therese Bugnet' to help carry through when rose bloom has lagged. I am indeed doing plantings at this time, though the heat is much limiting my capacity.

Havent been psrt of this discussion but your talking about growing clems up conifers reminded me of something.. My friend grew a blue clem up a golden chamycyp. it was stunning but the needles blocked by the clematis foliage turned Brown. Dont know if they died but the tree didn't look good wiith ribbons of browning needles.

I did some more reading about clrms in conifers, i couldnt find any other reports about conifers being harmed. so i guess ’watchful waiting’. Is prudent.

FWIW @Marie Tulin Boston burbs z 6a, we have grown this Madame Julia Correvon clematis up our cedar hedge for many years w/o any "repercussions" to any of the cedars involved.

Good to know! is it in a pot ? if its in the ground its roots appear to compete successfully with the cedar’s.

my comment and the subsequent info gets me thinking about anecdotal vs evidenced based information. I saw one example of clem doing harm to an evergreen and started to extrapolate a generalization.

Do any of you follow ”The Garden Professors ” on facebook? (It is the only thing that entices me there. )

They are a group of US university extension professors who offer evidence based garden advice and debunk garden myths which are based on unproven /unsubstantiated claims.

In another post GardenGal said woodchips dont cause depletion of soil nutrients. The garden professors designed and conducted experiments which showe wood chips do not affect soil that way.

some people hate their work but i dont understsnd why.

This clematis is definitely in ground :).

I planted this way back when I was in my "squeeze a clematis into every spare inch of space" phase.

Here it is, sandwiched between cedars and the deck railing:

This plant gets almost "zero" sun for the month of May and into June until it grows tall enough, reaching for the light. I admire its zest for life :).

Marie, thanks for mentioning of the damage having been done to your friends golden chamaecyparis, depending upon the species of shrub, casting a good deal of shade upon it can cause harm. Here's 'Rain Dance' I have just woven through 'Yellow Ribbon' upright arborvitae, 'RD' is too tall for the location and was going to remove it in favor of planting 'Arabella' .... well, now no need, instead 'RD' will be coaxed to weave itself through the cedar for a wonderful effect. I have four or five 'RD' most of I had started as cuttings two years ago and these will now be utilized all in a similar matter. Rouge, such as you are doing there, I'm also planting other large flowered clematis to scramble and ramble upon the cedars.

I got a bare root #1 raindance earlier this year inspired by this thread and it has been an excellent addition (i lost two clems this winter and the other two have barely survived). Anyhow, did anyone mention that it is fragrant? It is when up close.

Glad a new post revived this thread. Id like to hear reports on 2025 clems, esp Raindance and Arabella.

Frozebud, i know you are still around but i miss Rouge.

Marie, I as well am hoping for Rouge's return! :)

This is a little strange…..Rouge just posted on another clem thread. i am really glad about that.

Hello @Marie Tulin Boston burbs z 6a, (thanks).

From my experience, I consider this an outstanding non-vining clematis. Lots of flowers, vibrant healthy foliage and 'Goldilock' size for me. (I have it inside a too narrow 5 foot obelisk but it cascaded down over it and so I will use a 6 footer instead next season).

Here it is from June 27:

(No picture but trust me, a month later it still looks good).

Do you have a RD 'Marie'?

I have looked for a source for Rain Dance for a couple of years.......it is difficult to find. Does anyone know a source? Thanks........

Judith

Judith .. i scoured the web out of boredom and can only find one source thats iffy ..

its from amazon so you should be able to get your money back if it fails !

https://a.co/d/3035Zrs

the reviews on the seller arent the worst but not stellar either.

i can see why you want it , the photos are so beautiful !!

Oh ! this looks like a legit site . i have to look further into it .. lmk if you think its false bc i may order one too !

sorry it wont link for me

I have really wanted this one so after I asked this question - I started looking online some more. I got in touch with New Blooms - they carried it and it was available - I thought - eureka! While trying to order a couple of them - it wouldn go through and said they dont ship to Texas. Thinking this was a misake - have never had an issue with anyone shipping to Texas - I contacted the farm. I got a very prompt reply from Travis, who was very nice and said yes, the order blank was correct - they dont ship to Texas. I was really disappoited........then I thought [who knows where this came from] of Sooner Nursery in Oklahoma. Didnt figure they had it but just wanted to look. Lo and behold - they have it!! They werent cheap, $45, but Brushwood charges $40 for some. As I really want this one - I ordered 2. The order went through so will wait to see them in early spring when they are shipped. Dont know anything about this nursery, but willing to take a chance. It will be a couple of months, but I will post here when I receive them and try to send some photos. Thanks for the kind replies!

Judith

Struck out again. Sooner Nursery contacted me and said their stock of Rain Dance did not mtaerialize so now dont know where to find this clematis. If anyone knows a source, would appreciate a heads up!

Judith

Funny you post this @alameda/zone 8/East Texas as the same day you posted I was coincidentally looking at my "Rain Dance" with the snow receding. I moved it last Fall and have my fingers crossed that it will be fine this spring.

I ordered off amazon last April and it turned out well. The vendor is called votaniki and it was bare root #1 size.

Mine is probably 2 years old and it grows and blooms like crazy. i do deadhead it daily, it blooms all summer and up thru October. i do need to find something to keep it in a round shape and from falling over. i had it in a round frame like they use for peonies, but i need something sturdier. any suggestions?

New Blooms currently has Clematis Rain Dance but they do not ship to a lot of states including Oregon : (

i had it in a round frame like they use for peonies, but i need something sturdier. any suggestions?

@dakota01, here is our specimen (picture taken yesterday). This plant was moved last September and it has barely missed a beat this season. It is close to 6 feet tall and I have no doubt it could push higher but there is basically no more room in this obelisk.

Rouge, that looks great, I really should get a tall garden obelisk or two to grow this clematis and others upon! What I've done is plant them next to the 'Yellow Ribbon' arborvitae to display upon ... they're not quite in flower, has been exceeding WET and cool this spring and early summer!

plant them next to the 'Yellow Ribbon' arborvitae to display upon

@FrozeBudd_z3/4 how does that work given RD is not a 'twiner'. I would have thought it wouldnt be able to climb up a cedar...do you 'help' it?

Please remember to post pics when they are in bloom.

Rouge, yes, I plant 'Rain Dance' snug close to the outer edge of these cedars and guide and tuck the stems of 'RD' into and behind the cedar foliage, the effect is very nice with the blue flowers displayed against yellow cedar foliage ... I'll be sure to post a photo or two. I as well have planted the lovely pink flowering 'Heather Herschell' to grow upon an upright blue juniper.