Clematis - Introducing the Comtesse

kansuze (63)in #flower • 8 years ago

This is the first flower from the new clematis. I lost my old one this past winter and I don't think it ever liked where I planted it. The soil in my garden is deep and rich and tends to be dry. At least in recent years it has been dry but, at the time, I thought I had put the clematis in the perfect spot. They like at least 6 hours of sun per day and cool, moist roots. Up against my back fence, it was shaded from the late afternoon sun and its roots were sheltered by the hostas and daylilies in front of it. Perfect.

I have seen some beautiful clematis vines but mine would grow to about 4' (1.2 m) and stop, and I think it tried desperately to hide from the August sun. For a city that gets so cold, Ottawa can get surprisingly hot.

I had it for many years but it struggled in late summer and then succumbed to the cold this past winter. Now what would I put on that trellis? This was an opportunity to try something else that worked better. I researched a few other vines - some are really weeds - and I decided to try another clematis.

Introducing the Comtesse de Bouchaud

I had waited as long as I could for signs of life when I headed off to my local Canadian Tire last month. If possible, I wanted a similarly coloured clematis but you can't always get what you want.

I checked out all of the clematis (or 'clematises' as both are correct but the latter is kind of clumsy. What am I, a garden center linguist stalker?) And I chose the Comtesse de Bouchaud. It's pinker than I thought it would be from the label but apparently she is an extrememely vigorous and floriferous clematis. Yes, vigor, that's what was lacking from the last one. My research tells me that the Comtesse has been a staple in the clematis trade for over a century.

Now, when you buy a clematis, remember its name because it's important to identify its pruning group.

Pruning Clematis

Clematis fall into 3 main groups for pruning. I have included a reference that explains this in great detail, but what lies behind it is when it flowers and whether it flowers from old wood (sprouts from previous years' stems), new wood, or both.

Think of a lilac tree. Since it flowers in the spring, that's not a good time to prune or you would remove the flower buds! Clematis are a little more complicated, confusing you with over 300 species and blooming periods that depend on the variety, but we simplify pruning to 3 groups. The Comtesse (that's what I'm calling her) is from group 3 and flowers in late summer, although she's flowering now but you can't really tell from the first year. She's a variety that should be chopped back to 12-14" (roughly 30-35 cm) every spring before the new growth starts.

Now, if you garden in a warmer climate with a large group 1 variety, the idea of chopping a clematis down each year would probably horrify you - you don't do that to them - and they can get quite large. But this is what works best for the Comtesse in group 3. Wish me luck with her.