A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum please help me remember

i want to put clematis on a trellis, but they need their feet shaded, right? so i could put another "bushy" plant where their feet would be so they grow up through the bushy plant and onto the trellis? i've never grown one.

Yep, mine had hostas at the base.....but you could use anything else....

What color do you like Jiffy?

One of mine also has a hosta at the base and it's working out well.

You won't want an aggressive rooted plant at the base. It would compete for too much root space. But any shallow rooted shorter plant should do. I used large flat stones, but I have a different zone for trying to keep roots 'cool'.

Would it be possible to use a low ground cover like dead nettle, or thyme? Maybe possibly a low creeping sedum...or does the clem like lots of water? I read that rocks and stones may heat up and make the roots too hot. I don't grow clems but I have some people in our block that does. They don't have anything covering the base of theirs

I use dianthus, this year is going to be a great year for the clematis.

that's pretty Mel. I don't have anything around the base of mine but I think I'll copy you.

Jiffy, my clematis have finished for the season. Are you taking about for next year?

i don't really care about color, but hostas won't work. the feet are in full sun, and hosts don't last here in the sun. i'm thinking maybe the purple heart i have. but it does die back in winter, will that matter?


would large flat stones work? like some stepping stones or maybe bricks? i was afraid that would be too heavy on the roots.

also, how big does the root ball get? i was contemplating sinking a large nursery pot, would that work? or should i just put it straight in the ground?

I don't know how large the root ball actually gets, Jiffy.
But in my hot, western climate, it is suggested in my western gardening book to use the stones for the root cooling. They are tricky plants here. I had them growing on a chain link fence at my foster dog's yard. But eventually they were eaten underground by my unfavorite ground squirrels and died.

well, i'm not too worried about the roots getting eaten, just about them roasting. so, knowing they can be shaded by rocks is helpful :thumbup!

Mel, that pic is soooooo pretty!!!

Jiffy I have Blue Salvia in front of mine it's taller and really shades the feet of the clamatis,,, so the feet are cooler all the time,, it is in full sun as well, the salvia does die back in the winter as well and the clematis comes forth in the spring before the salvia comes back,, but by the times the clematis begins to bloom in first spring the salvia have already started to come back so the timing has been right on both accounts! note: when I water I water Behind the clematis so the salvia doesn't get as much water as salvia tends to get fungus with too much water, at least here it does,, other wise I have found it has been a great combination for the last 3 years,in the intense summer heat as you have there!
<Mine have already bloomed too , but I cut is back ever slightly and dead head all and it will bloom again soon,, All 4 of mine bloom at least twice from early spring thru fall