armandii apple blossom

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   Hi I have just been given clematis armandii apple blossom as a present to grow in a container up a sunny SW fence . (I have to grow in containers as the previouse occupant dug up the garden and replaced it with gravel/hardcore!!!!).  I'm a newby to clematis growing.  We live on the NE cost of Scotland just north of Dundee and I have just seen that this clematis is not fully hardy.  Does anybody have any advice on how I can protect this lovely clematis through the winter? I have seen many clematis growing in the area and they seem to do very well in our neibourhood. I have this clematis in a approx 45 L terracotta pot in JI No 3.  

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plantman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Location: Scotland Posts: 1	Quote Reply Topic: armandii apple blossom Posted: 06 Jun 2009 at 7:50pm
	Hi I have just been given clematis armandii apple blossom as a present to grow in a container up a sunny SW fence . (I have to grow in containers as the previouse occupant dug up the garden and replaced it with gravel/hardcore!!!!). I'm a newby to clematis growing. We live on the NE cost of Scotland just north of Dundee and I have just seen that this clematis is not fully hardy. Does anybody have any advice on how I can protect this lovely clematis through the winter? I have seen many clematis growing in the area and they seem to do very well in our neibourhood. I have this clematis in a approx 45 L terracotta pot in JI No 3.

Nunn00123 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 15 Dec 2007 Posts: 139	Quote Reply Posted: 07 Jun 2009 at 8:25am
	Hi, Armandii would be one clematis I would not try to grow in a pot, it is a vigorous climber, that if given ideal growing conditions will easily cover the side of a house, but as you have the plant, big plant means big roots, so give the plant as big a pot as possible. I would mix some fibrous compost with the JI No 3, such as New Horizon by Arthur Bowers. Also I would not expect Armandii to survive as far North as you are. A freind grows armandii further north than you but he keeps his plant in a frost free conservatory. Problems you face are that the summers growth must be kept throughout the winter as the flowers are formed on this growth, prune after flowering. The rootball must not become frozen and cold winds will dessicate the leaves. Have any of the clematis you have seen growing in the area been armandii? I suspect not, but if they are being grown in your area you have a chance. You could try the old trick of placing the clematis pot in another pot that is an inch or two bigger all round and packing the gap between the two pots with thermal insulating material and trying to cover the plant with fleece over winter, but possibly the best advice would be to grow another type of clematis that has been seen growing well in your area. Best of luck Roy