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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

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Original poster

My Clematis isn't flowering yet

90 replies

IStillMissBlockbuster · 05/05/2019 08:27

I know I am an impatient gardener, but my Clematis (planted last year, it was a small but established plant with some flowers on it when purchased) has not flowered yet and I am wondering if something is wrong? Others in the area have flowered. It is in a spot that gets the morning sun and it has grown tall and green... Any thoughts?

OP posts:

Original poster

IStillMissBlockbuster · 12/05/2019 09:36

I have bought one already in flower for that very reason! My mum says to me that they can take years to flower so if you buy them already in bloom then you're in for a winner.

OP posts:

ppeatfruit · 12/05/2019 09:47

Sorry that's what I thought, my first one here was in flower too , it didn't continue but it is in a lot of shade now. You may be ok if you have a site in full sun and keep a good eye on it

Original poster

IStillMissBlockbuster · 12/05/2019 10:12

It'll be south facing so fingers crossed

OP posts:

ErrolTheDragon · 12/05/2019 15:23

The instructions I've read for pruning wisteria have always put me off it.

Myimaginarycathasfleas · 12/05/2019 15:42

My wisteria is flowering a bit but nothing to get excited about. A few doors up there is a wisteria I can see from my bedroom window in exactly the same position as mine which is positively dripping with blooms. It's very aggravating.

ppeatfruit · 12/05/2019 20:42

Yes I don't get it either Myimaginary In this area they have wisteria dripping with those sweet blossoms and I know for certain Errol that NO pruning at all goes on!!

Myimaginarycathasfleas · 12/05/2019 20:58

Haha @ppeatfruit you're right! I wonder sometimes if these gardening techniques are just smoke and mirrors.

My father used to get the most fabulous display of climbing roses against an outside wall. Flower after fragrant flower. He didn't feed them or prune them. He just went at them once a year with a hedge trimmer!

ppeatfruit · 13/05/2019 10:19

Maybe the outside wall is the clue!! You've got it!!

I do know that since we had an enormous leylandii removed (it was far too close to the house) there's much more light everywhere and my climbing rose , that I'd nursed for 8 years with plenty of leaf growth but not one flower, has finally bloomed beautifully!!!

WellTidy · 13/05/2019 12:12

Wisteria can take years to start to flower. That's what Monty said anyway, and I take his word as gospel. I bought four last year and not a single flower on any of them.

I buy clematis all the time. Only ever in Wilko, as they sell them for £3 each. At that price, they're worth taking a punt on. I have found Arabella to be wonderful. None of my clematis, apart from the Montanas, are flowering yet. Decent growth though, so it looks promising.

Myimaginarycathasfleas · 13/05/2019 12:38

The most prolificly flowering clematis in my garden is Polish Spirit, hundreds of small purple flowers, not yet out but I'm looking forward to the display in a few weeks.

Two early flowering ones worth looking out for are Alpina Willy () and Alpine Blue Dancer. They have lovely drooping bell like flowers that appeared here (SW) in March April. The Blue Dancer now has fluffy seed heads so still giving a display. I bought both of them from Morrison's a couple of years ago for £1.76 each.

Still checking every morning for signs of a flower opening on the others but nothing else yet.

ppeatfruit · 13/05/2019 13:16

Careful with the fluffy seed heads ,unless you want your Blue Dancer spread about the garden!

Annoyingly my actual 'wild clematis' flowers aren't pretty at all They don't appear half the time anyway.

Myimaginarycathasfleas · 13/05/2019 17:15

@WellTidy I've been making labels for my latest purchases and am excited to find one of them is Arabella. Where did you plant yours to make it bloom so impressively?

WellTidy · 13/05/2019 17:36

I planted three Wilkinson £3 arabellas this time last year against the shed in a bed. They all glowered for ages that year. I am hopeful for another good show! It is part sun part shade, west facing.

ppeatfruit · 15/05/2019 16:52

Anyone had success planting bluebells in the green? If so how\where did they put them?

Original poster

IStillMissBlockbuster · 15/05/2019 17:56

In the green? What do you mean?

I've never tried planting bluebells at all btw. I thought they just magically appeared planted by fairies in woods...

OP posts:

ErrolTheDragon · 15/05/2019 18:01

'In the green' is with leaves on, not dry bulbs - I've not done this but I've heard it's better for bluebells, as is the case also with snowdrops.

My bluebells were dug in a clump including soil iirc from the ILs' neighbours' garden and plonked in a shady, damp border.

Myimaginarycathasfleas · 15/05/2019 22:30

We have masses of bluebells, they come up in the weirdest places, sunny and shady, we just leave them be and they come up year after year. This year the ones in the front garden decided to be white. They don't seem to mind being moved, we turn up a lot when weeding but just bury them again. Doesn't seem to do them any harm. Good luck with yours @ppeatfruit.

Myimaginarycathasfleas · 15/05/2019 22:33

Our bluebells aren't native though, We have been colonised by Spaniards, the little devils. I can't complain though since I spend much of the year on their soil

riverislands · 15/05/2019 23:30

I've always been quite lucky with clematis, but I planted a c. texensis once and it never did flower.

If yours had small flowers last year, it may be a viticella, and flower in September. They are my absolute favourite. Even if it flowered earlier last year, when you brought it, maybe it had been "forced".

ppeatfruit · 16/05/2019 10:00

Thanks for that everyone it has given me hope because we have no bluebells in our 'woody' area, (I had them as bulbs in pots this\last winter) they were happy and I have just put them in the ground in leaf, under a tree , I will have to remember to water them because it's quite dry here. I do have lots of cyclamen in the autumn though.

Nydj · 16/05/2019 10:08

OP, when did you buy the clematis last year? It may have bloomed earlier than it would do normally if the flowers had kept it in a greenhouse - by forcing them to bloom, they know they will sell more plants.

nilcarborundum · 16/05/2019 12:24

My Montana isn't flowering yet. Has buds on it though 😊

Original poster

IStillMissBlockbuster · 16/05/2019 12:26

I bought to around this time of year, good to know that there is still hope! There aren’t any buds on it but it is growing quite vigorously!

On the plus side, my awesome climbing fuschia has several buds on in it and last year it practically took over.

OP posts:

WellErrr · 16/05/2019 12:27

They like to be planted deeply, with the roots in the shade. Also depending what type, some should have been pruned right back before now.
Also, it might just be conserving energy for its roots, and not flower in its first year.

ErrolTheDragon · 16/05/2019 12:35

My Montana isn't flowering yet. Has buds on it though

That seems late - where are you?

I'm in Lancashire, mine are in abundant flower - and a couple of my 'summer' clematises (no idea what variety, labels long gone) started to bloom yesterday, which is a tad early.

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