can i prune back my clematis yet and how do i care for my orchid?

[breaghsmum]

title says it. have clematis montana, is it too early to prune, they're mad lookin at the min and i have an orchid in a pot, how do i make sure it survives.

gosh no, don't prune your montana now! It'll finish flowering late spring and you can prune it after that. You only need to prune to keep it in check though.
Am rubbish with houseplants though, sorry!

if it flowers as it is now, it look like a jungle!!! maybe i will try 'tucking' it into the wire mesh to neaten it. thanks

Too early to prune a montana, cut it back after it flowers. If you want to make it a bit tidier you can, but make sure you leave enough of last season's growth for it to flower on. You won't kill it by cutting it now, you just won't get the flowers.

I had an orchid in a pot for ages, managed to get two flowerings out of it but then I neglected it and it carked it. Just keep watering it, I gave it a bit of water a couple of times a week. You can get orchid food in garden centres, have seen it but can't say I've tried it.

montana is really best where it is allowed to rampage. if you've only got a small space take it out and put something in that likes being pruned have a look here www.taylorsclematis.co.uk

oh, and frankly don't ask me about orchids - too much hard work. Treat it like a cut flower. Let it die and then compost it.