Backyard Essentials ~ Easy Care Clematis
I just love talking backyard gardening with like-minded friends! I mean really, who doesn’t have a yard even if it’s only a small one. There are so many choices in the “awesome” plant department in most every store, how does one decide on what to get?! I thought it might be fun to explore what Denison Ridge has dubbed a backyard essential and why. Let’s start off with the easy care clematis plant and see where that takes us.
What is Clematis?
There are so many different kinds of this beautiful plant. For my purpose it is a vine that starts out small, reaching maturity in about three years, but will continue to fill out. Most of these plants do not need trimming because the new buds come back on, what looks like, the dead vine. You can trim it back from time to time but not too much. To find out everything about this plant just google it, you’ll find a wealth of information on care, style, etc.
Where’s the Clematis?
I have located the clematis in several places in my yard, the first place being on the old log cabin. This cabin has a story, not because it is old but because it almost met a timely death.
When we first moved to the property, and I mean bare property, this old cabin was camouflaged. There were vines, not Clematis vines mind you, but old tree vines and shrubs growing in and around it.
My husband Les and his brother Chris, who was in town to help dig the basement to our house, decided it would be best to bulldoze it while the rented dozer was in our yard. As you can guess when they asked me, thank goodness they asked me, I just about had a come apart!!
And, what none of us knew at the time was that the old cabin would become one of the all-time favorite wedding photo areas. I also have Clematis growing up the polls on the pergola that acts as the ceremony back drop, plus another climbing the beam that holds up the deck attached to our house.
Why Clematis?
Oh my word you guys, they are so easy to grow and hardly any up keep!! Talk about keeping it simple. I have a huge backyard and I want to enjoy it. The Clematis is very beautiful and comes back every year; all I have to do is make sure it is watered. This plant doesn’t get aphids, or any other weird disease that makes them look bad. Remember, I live in Spokane Washington area, hot summers and cold winters. If you have questions about Clematis growing in your yard, the store garden center will have excellent advice for you.
That’s it! Now go and get an easy care Clematis and plant it somewhere unique. Remember it takes about three years to mature so you want to get it planted ASAP.
Blessing, Teri : )
