Clematis is the queen of climbers; this is because of its long flowering period, the ability to grow in different climates, and its variety of flower shapes and colours. It’s a plant that can make your home a beautiful place if given proper care and training.
Before discussing the best 8 clematis support ideas, here is how to prepare and plant clematis plants in your garden.
How to Prepare Your Garden for Clematis Plants
- Choose a planting location for the clematis. Since the plant needs sunshine for a few hours a day, you are required to select a sunny spot.
- Clematis being climbing plant; you should build support areas to facilitate the growth of the plant.
- Select the right clematis variety for your garden.
Planting Clematis Plants
- Prepare a hole 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep.
- Mix the soil with compost and manure.
- Prepare the clematis for planting; this is through watering it.
- Remove the plant from the pot, place the clematis into the hole, and fill the remains of the hole with soil mixed with fertilizers.
- Water the plant continuously until it sprouts out.
It is crucial to ensure the plant grows in a support area since it grows upwards, which will need a strong support base. For proper support, you will require a trellis. Here are a few things you should consider when selecting trellis:
- They should be sturdy enough, made of waterproof materials.
- Do you want a decorative garden? This will guide you on the best support for the plant.
- The variety of clematis you want to grow, this will guide on the type of trellis to buy.
The 8 Best Clematis Support Ideas
1. Arches
No matter the season, it is good to style and scale designs and placements critically using garden arches. The flairs can add distinction and be compatible with your house and general landscape. Arches often prominently made of wood which you can easily paint or stain to resist damage. Arches can be made of other materials such as steel and plastic, which are smart choices for the stylish garden.
2. Flat Trellises
Flat trellises define space and give a sense of privacy. They stand freely, can be anchored to the wall, and are sometimes permanently anchored. You can move around the garden with these supports to provide different effects. Mostly made of metal, plastic mesh, and wood lattice panels.
3. Obelisks, tripods, and teepees
These are functional and decorative trellis with stable structures and a vertical element that serves as a focal point. They are effective when not overused. The structures are made of different heights to support different types of plants that you want to grow in your garden.
A good obelisk trellis is the Parisian Steel Garden Obelisks which is ideal for climbing plants since it’s coated with steel for a longer life.
4. Cages and ladders
Mainly made of durable metal; they are tall and sturdy enough to support clematis. For Clematis you can use a traditionally designed cage, tower or ladder and ensure the plant is spread across to give it a beautiful look.
5. Fences and Porches
Fences are ideal for various types of climbing plants. May it be a wooden fence or chain link wire, still you will get a stylish look. Clematis grow favorably in fences and porches such as the Hilton canopy storm porch shelter.
The help from strings and plastic nets makes them grow fast and beautifully. You can coil them and direct them to various directions to get out the best look.
6. Walls
Not everyone has a wall over the garden, but you can utilize one of your house walls to support clematis. Walls along the garden such as the neighbours brick wall, wall of your house backyard or walls of an outbuilding can support the growth of clematis. You can attach strings or other trellises to the wall to get the best of them.
7. Twiggy Branches
Customarily called “pea sticks” in the United Kingdom since they are known to support sweet peas. Collect some branches from the trees in your garden, and push them down the soil. The twigs should be 3 to 5 feet long and should be as tiny as possible. Make sure they are also strong enough to hold the clematis. If possible, get shrubs since they are much stronger than common trees.
8. Existing Shrubs or Trees
If trees and shrubs already exist in your garden, then try to grow clematis next to them. For instance, if you plant clematis at the base of the white birch, it quickly finds its way to the branches and starts sprouting first displaying its marvelous flowers. Clematis also happily thread through shrubs and lilacs.
How to Care for Clematis and Make Your Garden Beautiful
- Plant a dynamic duo – Planting two different types of clematis side by side will give your garden a spectacular show of flowers.
- Be aware of withering clematis – If you let the plant wither, it will lose its beautiful look. Remove and burn all withered leaves and stems.
- Train your clematis – Train your clematis to cover a wide area, a black wall or fence. Position wires on a centimeter to enable for tendrils to twine.
- Prune at the right time – Clematis only require light pruning since they flower in spring. Late pruning is done once and hard pruning in late winter or spring.
- Leave the vines in winter – In winter feathery fruits grow on clematis making a beautiful decoration. The fruits are them transformed into dazzle like jewels. You can cut them before they fall and dry them for use as dried arrangements.
- Use of old umbrellas – you can make good use of old umbrellas in making a clematis shade. Let the flowering vines blank the umbrella and create a beautiful shade full of flowers.
- Plant clematis in containers – some clematis varieties are small and planting them in a container will give them a beautiful look. Provide them with a twig or wire to support it.
- Keep the soil fertile – Always add manure to the soil every spring. If the soil is naturally acidic, add a mixture of lime to reduce the acidity.
- Feed them with baking soda – Clematis grow fuller and blooms when you introduce baking soda to them. Consider adding some to it.
Bottomline
To keep your garden tidy and attractive, you need to carry out various practices that will maintain and care for clematis. Stay tuned for more ideas about gardening.